Cory U of CUExperiments

Nov. 27th, 2012

Last day in Vancouver meant last day to catch up with Amani & show me around town. After a night out, we were off you wander parts of the city & some shops. If I ever get back to that vintage shop with the lightning kitty suit, I may just be tempted to buy it! The day ended with some burgers & goodbyes before heading off to train, to the airport, to home.

-Cory U

I realized I still have Vancouver posts clogging up my queue from my November trip! No matter how late I want to have record of them, so here it goes:

Nov. 26th, 2012

As Amani was a “responsible student” for the day, I had the day to wander & explore on my own terms. First up was grabbing some breakie & writing a few surprise postcards home. I couldn’t resist after finding these cheesy vintage 80s postcards collecting dust in a local convenience store!

Not too far away was Canada Place with its amazing views of the mountains. The mountains made me wish Toronto wasn’t such a flat city & had a more vibrant natural landscape like this one.

…This was the trip where selfies beat out any photo taken by a stranger instead (see dark image top left). It was a rather amusing day being a tourist in my own country.

-Cory U

This is how we commute to work… The pros of all of Toronto’s construction.

I never thought I’d be scared of seagulls until Granville Island, Vancouver. Walking through The Public Market (similar-ish to St. Lawerance Market) for some coffee I laughed at the seagull warnings at the exit doors to the harbour. After stepping outside though, I wasn’t laughing anymore. The seagulls in Vancouver are scarily giant!

The next day I heard a story from a woman that witnessed one devouring a squirrel. The only thing I’ve ever seen a Toronto seagull eat is a McDonalds fry. I now understand why Amani could be so afraid of birds. I would be too if I lived near these squirrel eating monsters…

-Cory U

PS We never saw who the heck actually owned all those dogs, but they must be a pain to walk. They sure weren’t fond of our little pup that day.

~Haven’t posted in about a week since I haven’t really been online. Been in a beautiful crochet coma & can’t wait to share… Back to stories of Vancouver for now.!~

Still at Granville Island, we stumbled across an open workshop where totems were being built. Unfortunately, being a Sunday, no one was carving that day but it was still a sight to see.

My Grandfather was a woodworker by hobby but on a much smaller scale than these. Loons, dollhouses, & clocks were more his forte. Seeing these larger carvings kind of brought me back to that though. I just can’t imagine working in so much detail with your hands out in the cold like this studio was. Pretty amazing.

-Cory U

PS We found another hidden art piece nearby. Can you spot Amani??

After dropping off my bags there was no time to waste on my Vancouver 3 day adventure. First stop was Amani’s favourite local area; Granville Island. Filled with cute little boutique shops & galleries, it was kind of the perfect place to hang out & catch up. Besides seeing the awesome broom shop & totems all around, there were also some fun art pieces hiding about. Amani’s cute little pup met her match when we spotted a dog way larger than any of us…

-Cory U

A month after Australia & two weeks ago now, I found myself in Vancouver for a few days. When you already have one of the flights booked, why no, right?

Not only did I start this year seeing Amani in LA, but I was also lucky enough to end this year visiting her once again. Entering the airport there was no doubt which country I was in; this was home, just on the other end of the coast where totem poles & wood carvings are everywhere!

-Cory U

PS The only thing that was a little off were their train warnings: don’t walk directly off the track, or you’ll be dancing for your life….

(PPS Ever since Australia I always tend to find warning signs of people to look like crazy dance moves. It’s hard not to now.)

Long story very short: Flying home from Australia, I got held in the Taiwan airport for 17 hours with nothing to do & no where I could go. Don’t ask.

These photos make everything look super cute… but it’s an airport, don’t be deceived. In those 17 hours, these were the cute things worth noticing: Lots of Hello Kitty, a swimming Pengu, & orchids in a very small “garden display” (it was a small square section walled with mirrors to look larger).

-Cory U

PS Pengu is a penguin. Why would he need a floating device to swim anyways??

Just a few more shots from the waves of Byron Bay. Surfing at the most easterly point of Australia wasn’t the easiest, but it sure was fun.

-Cory U

In the last month in Brisbane, I met a group of really awesome people. From all over the world, they were in Australia to improve their English while having a great excuse to see such a beautiful country. Every weekend they planned barbecues in the park & I was so lucky to be invited to join in. While some people would find it rather frustrating, it was a joy talking to people that were so eager to improve their English. The conversations were never boring.

It’s funny how no matter where you go, your closest friends always end up being fellow travelers. My offer will always stand to show any of my new found friends from all of my travels around my own little part of the world if they ever come to visit.

-Cory U

Just a few more postings of Australia, & my stories from this adventure are complete!

There was no other option for me to spend my last weekend than beside a beach & trying to surf yet again. Dom & I headed to Byron Bay for the day & did nothing but fight the wind & waves all day. I’ve never been so beaten up by a beach before that day. A month later & I still have a nice mark on my leg. Most surf tries, the board ended going one way while we got devoured in another. So worth it though!

This was another day where my amazing waterproof digital camera came to good use. Love that thing.

-Cory U

Hello Vancouver!

Spending the day roaming around like a crazy tourist. Loved waking up, stepping outside & seeing beautiful mountains this morning. So happy for the sunshine today.

At Canada Place, Vancouver.

-Cory U

How… Canadian…

Home Sweet Home. I missed skies like these.

My favourite photo by far is of Dom just about to get attacked by the waves. Couldn’t have timed it any better!

Just a few shots from our Surf Camp weekend. Gotta love digital waterproof cameras!

-Cory U