I Need More Furniture.

More furniture, and less being silly.

Somehow, seeing a person moving around in the space gives you a much better idea of just how huge it is (:

There’s No Place Like Home

I’ve moved into a permanent place, now. Yay. I haven’t had one of those in months.

There is a kitchen. It has plenty of power points. And all of the cupboards in the world. At the moment, there is a singular cupboard with food in it. The tall cupboard, which screams pantry, is currently playing the role of armoire. There’s another filled with tech and music gear. Another is a bookshelf. There’s a bathroom behind the kitchen; and the biggest wardrobe I’ve ever had is on the right (it even has a light. Nice. Now all I need to do is get some coat hangers so I can store clothes in it usefully.)

There is also a wide open plain of space. I have lots of space. It’s a little weird. I think it’s around about 5-600 square feet all together. At the moment, the extent of my furniture is a freestanding hammock.

A freestanding hammock is pretty comfortable for sleeping on. I didn’t fall out or off, and it didn’t collapse. It’s winning all around!

I have a skylight! Because I’m on the top floor (heh. My mailbox is labeled PH1, for penthouse 1). This does also mean I have to walk up the most stairs to get to my place.

And this was sunset last night, as seen from my balcony

Aaaand, from my balcony, I can see a really big tree. It’s pretty nice to be so central but not buildinged in.

More From The Markets

In a break from tradition, instead of getting a container of mixed berries; I bought figs and raspberries instead. My gosh. You would not believe how tasty both are. Look at the picture, and multiply that by delicieux.

Lest you think I have turned into a fruit-eating monkey, behold some non-fruit of recent acquisition.

and

In other news, tomorrow I am moving from the short-term rental I have been living in to a place with a longer term lease. I found an amazing loft on St-Denis, and I am so very pleased. This will, however, involve acquiring furniture and the other accoutrements of having a life. I have two plates; but still only one place setting of cutlery. Heh.

I Will Miss Summer When It Ends

I usually buy one of these when I’m at the markets. At Jean-Talon, at least, there are usually several vendors who sell them (and at least one at Atwater, also. Although the one I got from there cost twice as much. Ouch). Having a selection of all sorts of berries is such a marvelous thing, indeed.

In New Zealand, I am accustomed to a punnet of raspberries or blackberries costing around about NZ$5 (blueberries and strawberries are much more reasonable; and there aren’t a lot of gooseberries about). So it’s completely amazing to be able to get so many delicious berries for so little money – That tray was a whole CA$4.

I’ve probably eaten more raspberries and blackberries in the past two months than I have in, gosh, probably the past eight years; and quite possibly longer.

Not Dead. Still Alive.

I’m mostly still alive, at least. The weather, across the past week, I will have you know, has been the kind of weather that kills a person like me. By being hot and humid. I had expected to be killed by the winter; so this being killed by summer thing is a fascinating surprise.

I meant to post this yesterday, on the tenuously significant two month anniversary of my arrival in Canada. Today is just as good. I guess.

Since last I posted, I spent a couple of weeks in Toronto, a couple of weeks in MontrÃ©al, a few days in Edmonton, and another week in Vancouver.

I’ve also been on rollercoasters. Lots of rollercoasters. I did, I will have you know, ride rollercoasters in three different timezones in less than three weeks. Going on a rollercoaster safari wasn’t something I had particularly planned, mind you.

There have also been lots of concerts. Lots and lots. MontrÃ©al has had Death Cab For Cutie, Cut/Copy, British Sea Power, Long Blondes and Los Campesinos!. Toronto had Foals, The Constantines and Creature. Vancouver had the previously mentioned Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, Teenagers and Handsome Furs. Nice.

I’ve also been to theatre, museums, galleries and parks.

Which brings us to now.

I have started to learn French. J’Ã©cris un peu, et de parler un peu. Yeah.

I’m living in MontrÃ©al, now. Which is a little surprising since I was thinking about living in either Toronto or Vancouver. But that’s just how these things go, sometimes.

This is one of my favourite places in MontrÃ©al. I don’t know where it is. I went to where I thought it was, but it wasn’t there:

This week I started working at another start-up. I’m doing some pretty interesting Java stuff with a really great client. I’m totally stoked that there’s a MacBook Pro on my desk (:

For now, I’m living in a really nice furnished studio apartment where interesting things happen. As nice as it is, I should really find somewhere a little cheaper. That said, ignoring exchange rates, it’s about the same as it cost me to live at Oriental Bay.

This is from my balcony:

The people here are, on the whole, exceedingly nice. I should really acquire one.

Oh. Oh My.

I am going to be computer-less for the next month or so.

Eep!

In the interests of informativeness, this is where I will be for the next month or so:

April 25th -> I Fly to Toronto, until..
May 9th -> I catch a Train to Montreal, until..
May 23rd -> I Fly to Edmonton, until..
May 26th/27th -> I catch a Train to Vancouver

Squirrels. So Cute. Heeee!

Icy Stuff. Falling From The Sky

I’m told this is sleet. It was, however, made of ice and falling from the sky. And not that bad to walk in. Until it starts to melt.

One Week in Vancouver

Here, have some postcardy pictures of Vancouver, from around about where I am staying.

And this is a squirrel in Stanley Park. You may be familiar with squirrels. I, however, am not familiar with squirrels; so they fill me with an unreasonable and insidious amount of glee and delight. I imagine that when they aren’t being cute, they do something bad to irritate everyone; but I’m not sure what that is just yet.

Jellyfish! I used to think I really liked aquariums, but it turns out that really I like looking at jellyfish. One day, I will have a tank of jellyfish of my own to look at. Except not for a very long time. Because jellyfish tanks are crazy expensive, jellyfish need special feeding, and I’m not going to be here forever and it seems like a pain of a thing to get rid of. Also: much easier to hug a cat than a jellyfish.

Nom. Nom nom nom. These cupcakes are awesome and delicious. There’s a cupcake store which is dangerously close to where I’m staying. They have all sorts of cupcakes. And also trays of all sorts of cute little tiny cupcakes.

More noms! This time, deliciousness from Ganache Patisserie. It was boxed up all pretty like, so it seemed like it was worthwhile to make a series of unboxing photos (:

In what can only be described as a total lack of planning; I have nothing resembling a spoon to eat such a delightful thing with. So I ended up barbarically eating it using a coffee stirrer. A coffee stirrer really is a lot better at stirring coffee.

The description of it from the website is…

milk chocolate caramel mousse with hazelnut croquant, raspberry gelÃ©e, 75% Tanzanie dark chocolate mousse, praline crunch, chocolate biscuit

I would describe it as being extremely delicious. I forsee returning at some point to try more things.

Have also been along to Roller Derby, and to see Fleet Foxes and Blitzen Trapper perform. There’s a lot of shows on; but also a lot which sold out ages a long time ago. Other shows manage to be on in the wrong city (Nina Nastasia plays in Vancouver two days after I leave; and Colin Meloy is playing tomorrow night in Toronto (and not even sold out. Oh the humanity))

[I collect photos of stamps I acquire when I go to things.]

So yes. That has been what has happened since the last huge update with photos. Pixies have hid the cable for my camera somewhere in my luggage (presumably), but now that I’ve bought a card reader, no doubt it will reappear.

p.s. Flying to Toronto on April 25th.

Obligatory Update

Flight from Wellington to Auckland involved a window seat.

And a sunset.

The flight from Auckland to Vancouver, however, did not involve a window seat.

In any case, I arrived in Canada. My baggage arrived in Canada. My baggage and I were reunited in Canada.

Marvelous.

Then I had to go leave my baggage while I stood in a queue for, uh.. an hour and a half.

But it’s okay! After queueing for an hour and a half I have a work permit which is valid until April 10, 2009. And when I finished with that, my baggage was where I left it.

Nice.

I found a taxi. The taxi person took me where I wanted to go. No drama ensued. It cost me $30. That kicks the ass of trying to deal with the weirdness of foreign country buses.

I find it distressing at a deep level that people here drive on the wrong side of the road; but, I think, I notice more that they are sitting on the wrong side of the car. I’m also not sure if it’s a quirk of this hotel, but on/off switches also seem to be opposite.

Turns out the hotel also has free wireless. Awesome.

And I can see stuff from the balcony.

Also: I am able to carry all of my possessions unaided. Clumsily, but unaided. I feel like perhaps I still dragged far too much stuff with me (I think I had ~38kg of checked luggage).