Korean ski vacation... so good!!

We just got back from our 4 night/5 day Christmas ski trip and it was so much fun! It was Dan and I along with 3 other teachers/friends from our school who are all from Canada, Dan, Linda and Leah.

We had a ski hill view from our 14th floor hotel room (see pic of hill). Sue (a Korean teacher at our school) hooked us up with the accommodations through her husband's membership at this resort that was a 3 hour bus ride from our homes. This hook up gave us a discount on the room (we each paid about 75.00 for all 4 nights) and we got 40% off on the lift tickets! The runs were pretty good. The snow is all man made and overall made for good skiing, in my opinion.

Dan and I skied 3 days and although he had to wait for me here and there (he's really good on the ol' skis), I was able to keep up for the most part. I fell a few times and the third day was icy and so cold, and I was slipping and falling all over those hills... some of the wipe outs were pretty funny, some kind of painful, but not too bad.

We played cards and board games. We went to the arcade and gamed it up. There was a billiards room where we shot pool. We went bowling! And, of course skiing! It was a really fun trip. Woo hoo!!

Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas!

Tonight is the last night of Hanukah and tomorrow is Christmas eve. We lit some candles in our makeshift menorah tonight, they then fell over and we propped them back up without any of them going out!

We went to Seoul tonight and there were many Christmas festivities. Lots of light displays and a few Santas walking about. There were more vendor booths set up along the streets than usual and many people with their families and cameras there to enjoy it all.

The pics are of our menorah, the Christmas decorations in Seoul, a jam packed train that we rode and some of the vendors.

Things here are going good. My ears are clearing up. We are on Christmas vacation for 10 days and on Monday morning (Christmas day) we (Dan and 3 other Canadian teachers from my school) leave to go skiing for 5 days! Happy holidays!

A few things I've noticed about Korea.

Korea:
Fish- The scent of fish wafts through the air. Fish stands, selling fish soup, fish sticks, fish stu and fishy fish stuff too. As you walk by one of the many stands, the strongest fishy smell fills your nostrils and my first thought is always, "Ewww! That stinks! I just can't get used to it."

Bowing- As I enter any restaurant or store I am met with a bow and verbal greeting. Other people do it to, like the kid's parents or some people I work with, or just strangers on the street. Make eye contact, give a small bow and greeting. I smile, cause I don't know how to say hello properly yet, or I am just too self concious to say it.

Red light runners- The busses and sometimes other cars run the red lights, the ambulances and cops don't seem to. Hmm...

Meat sticks- They sell yummy bbq'd meat sticks at these stands all over the place for 1000 won here (like $1.50), sooo good!

That's all for now. More later, as there is way more to mention!

p.s. I'm doing well, by the way. I had my ear drum cut opened by a doctor the other day. My ear was plugged for nearly a month, as no natural drainage took place. So, I had to resort to the cutting. It hurt, the anestetic was weak, but I didn't want him to stick a needle in my ear drum either. He sucked some fluid out with a sucky thing... that was the most painful out of everything. Then I had to lay on that same side that night with tissue under my ear and hope for maximum drainage, as the incision was due to close by the next day. I go to see the doc tomorrow to check the progress... my hearing is better, but not perfect yet. I am hoping for some good news, which I am pretty sure I will get. Bye!

Freakin' lady freakin' out on us!!!

So, this freakin' lady freaked out on Dan and I today! The pic below is from our screen that shows whose ringing our door bell... 2 are of her, cause she's crazy and she rang it twice in a row!! and the other one is the security gaurd from our building... I wasn't able to fit her husband's pic in this pic, but he came to our place too!

First thing this morning a man came to the door. Dan was still sleeping at this point. The man was nice, he spoke almost all Korean and basically he told me that he lived in the apartment below us and his wife is angry cause the ashes from our cigarettes were landing on her banister railing... I brought him in, showed him our ash tray and said we won't ash out the window anymore.

Then the security rings us a few minutes later and insists that I come with him. I go into the ladies apartment only to be met with a psychotic, eye twitching, Korean screaming bitch. At this point Dan woke up and came to our door to hear what was going on. She was up in my face, yelling so loud that Dan could clearly hear her from our place upstairs... I tried to explain the game plan for future smokes and apologize, but she didn't relent. So I got bitchy and stormed outta there.

Minutes later she rang our bell. We opened the door, upon seeing Dan she calmed down a bit, but still continued spazzing out on us. We eventually felt it necessary to show her our balcony and how we would smoke from then on. She wasn't satisfied. All of a sudden, low and behold! she spoke English!! Granted it was broken, but we could understand her. She asked us what country we were from, where we worked, threatened to call the police, several times... threatened to call our boss (we lied about where we work). She told us she and her husband are high class and that "Everday! EVERDAY! I clean up the ashes!! I can't sleep at night!! I can't sleep!" Well, my question is why did it take her 2 months to talk to us and how is it that she is so high class and yet has zero people and communication skills?? And, what? You can't sleep? Really? Come on, psycho! How obsessed are you!!?

We're pissed! We're thinking about putting a flaming bag of a hot steamer on her door step... maybe that will bring us some peace of mind...

Dan's big golden birthday!

It was Dan's birthday last week. The director bought all of us pizza and cake and gave Dan a present. We had the house and office decorated for him. He opened some presents here, at the apartment, and then we (Leah, Dan and I) went to Seoul and found a little Indian restaurant and went for dinner, which was delicious! These are some pics from the big day!!

My ear drums

Hey guys! I went to the doctor again, the Hefner lounge one. Anyways, this time they took pics of my ear drums. The one on the left is actually my right ear, the one that was infected. And though this pic doesn't show it as well as his screens did, you can kind of make out some little bubbles on my infected ear drum. Those were filled with fluid and the other drum was smooth smooth smooth... it was neat, so I took a pic!

I didn't know that Hugh Hefner has a medi center in Korea!

So, I have been sick for the past week and I have been to 2 doctor's offices. One was a whirlwind check up. He had me on a swivel chair. Swirling me around left, right... breath! Check my heart rate with the stethoscope... turn. Open your mouth! "Ahhh". Close your mouth and your eyes! Spray some stuff up my nose. In the mean time there's a nurse checking my temp through my ear and looking in my other ear to check my drum. Swivel... turn, poke, prod... breath... about 3 minutes later I was finished my check up and walking outta there with a prescription.

Next... my ear starts hurting a few days later. I walk into Hugh Hefner's medi-center! Pimped out! Purple velvet couches and throw pillows! Whoa... So I wait in this luxurious waiting room... hoping the doctor is having a busy day and I can sit in there a bit longer.

My name gets called, I enter the docs room. He is wearing a head band thing with a circular mirror at the forehead! Yeah, he was! Anyways, he checks my ears. He puts a metal knife type thing on my teeth, hits it and in my right ear (my sore ear) I can hear this crazy ringing! Then he sprays this mystery spray up my nostrils and then puts a long silver thing up there and looks off to his right. So I follow his gaze and there on these big tv screens is my nostril! He has a camera in my nostril... and the stuff he sprayed up there looks really gross when it's magnified on the big screen. So he takes a still shot and does the same with the other... the interiors of my nostrils, frozen on the big screen... nice. He tells me that if the medicine doesn't work, that the worst case scenario would be them making an incision on my ear drum to let the fluid drain out externally.... I was diagnosed with an inner ear infection that started in my throat. So, prescription in hand I am leaving the office and I am nabbed by a nurse and sat down in this chair... one more thing before you go! She puts stethoscope type ear phones on me and out pours the bass. Yes, pure bass played into my ears for 2-3 minutes, to try and loosen up the fluid to promote drainage... I finished with that, walked through Hugh's lobby and left.

Froggy Frog Humidifier

Our Friday Night

Me and my roomies just sitting here chillin' in the apartment this Friday eve. I'm sipping on the vino and they're drinkin' the beer... OB Blue, is the name. Listening to music... took a few pics...

Teaching this week was better than last... only one kid cried in my class this week. As opposed to at least a kid a day last week. The only kid who had a good reason to cry last week was the one who ran his face into the wall while we were playing a writing game that required them to get up to see the word and go back to their spot on the glass wall (which they write on with erasable markers)... yeah, he ran into a wall, nose first...bloody nose!!! YIKES!! Anyways, the rest of them were just being cry babies! I tell ya. Every time they cry I have to bring them to the receptionist... it starts looking bad when it's Thursday and I'm on my 5th kid for the week...

So, ya, this week was better! I was singing and dancing in class today... singing new words for them to learn and striking dance moves periodically... "Alligator! Alligator... bump bump chh, bump bump chh... what does it start with? A! What is it? Alligator!" dance dance!! Yeah, it was a success!

The wine is good... the music is good... the company is good...

Leah, the other roomie, says "like, seriously guys booooooo".

Free hugs? Yes, please!!!

So, we were in a trendy part of Seoul last weekend and there were 2 people on the street with signs in their hands, raised high above their heads. These people were about my age. One was a guy, the other a girl. They looked as normal as any 20 something year old person you might run into in Seoul would. They weren't normal though, they were extraordinary! Do you know what these signs said? "Free Hugs"!!! I thought that was the best idea ever!! What a peaceful gesture! So, I went in for one. I went to the guy and he opened his arms right up, grinning ear to ear. He swallowed me with his arms and gave me such a warm, heart felt hug. He was Korean and he spoke English. As he was hugging me he said, "Hi! How are you tonight? Doing good? Are you happy?". It was a great hug! I was hesitant to go hug him at first, but as soon as I did, I was so happy with my decision!

Some pics for y'all!

My Kiddies... so cute

The sounds of my neighbourhood...

I hear kids playing outside at most hours of the day. The suburb, Paju, that we live in has so many kids running and walking around, roller blading, skateboarding, biking, scootering... am i missing anything? I sit in my house and hear them play down in the courtyard below.

We have a sweet courtyard below us (we are on the 4th floor) ... I love standing at my balcony looking down on it, or up at the starts at night. That's right, I can see the stars so clearly! Orion shows up above me around 9-10 pm every night... it's one of the only things that is truly familiar to me here. Not that they don't have milk, cars and sidewalks... but it's a familiarity that is different from those types of things... it's hard to explain.

About once a week I can hear the sounds of the market in the courtyard below...

I also hear piano echoing off the building walls. It is good piano playing, mostly classical... whoever is playing it must have a window opened. I love it!!

I hear kids practicing "tae kwon do" as I walk past the building where the lessons are. Then I hear them run into the streets when the lesson is over, still in their uniforms.

And now, as of Monday, I hear kids, making kid noises, in school all the time. I'm most happy when I hear them speaking English, because they aren't supposed to speak a word of Korean while they are in school.

I hear cars and buses going by... it's not too loud, but it's there.

I hear construction sounds all around our neighbourhood... everything is so new, lots of things still being built. It isn't something that wakes me up in the morning, it's closer to the downtowny area... if you can even call it downtown. Actually it's more like, "up town".

I hear music playing loudly in the streets when certain stores are having a promotion. Sometimes they are shouting out things over the mic... I wonder what they're saying?

I heard 7 older women chanting as they walked through the streets the other night, it sounded religious.

I hear crickets all the time.

I heard about 10 tanks roll through downtown the other day! They were loud... it sounded like a bunch of tanks rolling by... heh heh, sounds redundant, but that's what it sounded like... thunderous tanks!!!

I hear Korean everywhere I go... that's an obvious one. I am trying to catch onto the language. After about 2 weeks of being here Dan and I realized that when we thought we were saying "goodbye" to people, that we were actually saying "sit down". heh heh... that was a funny realization... I still say it sometimes... I can't remember how to say goodbye... "Han io sayo"? I don't know. Dan can say it...

Sometimes I hear updates of some sort come out of these speakers of our apartment walls... some Korean person just starts talking away and Dan and I just smirk as we look from each other to the speakers in the wall...

Many many sounds I hear... these are the sounds of my neighbourhood.

I hope you are all doing well! Love Amie

Osaka- no sake, but plenty O geisha!

2 days ago, Dan and I went to Osaka for a period of 24 hours to get our work visas. Dan almost didn't make the trip due to not being able to find his passport! We tore the whole place apart looking. The buzzer rang, our ride was there! And no passport in sight! Needless to say, he found it. It was laying in the middle of his floor among everything that was tossed around in the mad search. Coming home the next night was funny, it looked as though we had been robbed.

We spent most of our time in Osaka either lost or purposely wandering around the streets downtown. After finding the Korean consulate we began the search for our hotel/place to sleep, the Osaka House. Weaving in and out of the well dressed business men, punked out teens and young adults, hip looking women and men, old people, homeless people and of course all the bicycle riders (whom rode on the sidewalk, weaving in and out of this madness!

We made it to the Osaka House and were shown to our room... which was exactly that, a very small room with futon mats stacked up along the wall, a small tv and communal bathrooms. The sheets were clean and it was somewhere safe to stay.

We wandered around the lantern and people filled streets. I bought a big red Japanese lantern, which we are going to hang up in our apartment! I tried some interesting food along the way to seeking out a restaurant that could serve us a vegetarian meal... not very easy to find in Japan, as far as I can tell. I drew pictures of the foods that Dan can't eat (shrimp, fish, a pig, chicken...etc) and put a cross through it and put check marks next to the vegetables, egg, rice and noodles that I drew. We went to an English Pub (if you can believe it!) and ate a Japanese version of cheese and crackers, cheese pizza (very thin) and these yummy mushroom things. We drank absinthe there too and then left.

We hit bars up and down the streets searching for Sake. I could not find it anywhere!!! We settled for beers at one place and then gin at this other bar, where we drank and played pool for a good portion of the night. We tried to get into a few strip clubs, but we weren't allowed in because we weren't Japanese! “Are you Japanese?” “No... arigato....” “Sorry, only Japanese allowed here, not foreigners.” We left there laughing and complaining of racism.

I also attempted to get into what I think was a sex house of some sort... I wasn't going to stay there, I just wanted to go in and take a peek... a man with a bowtie came at me and waved his hands, smiling as he shook his head... not allowed there either...

I saw real geisha more than a few times! They were there!!! I couldn't believe my eyes and my luck!!! I spied on this older geisha from atop some stairs as she politely gave a man her cheek to kiss as he tried for her mouth several times... she was graceful and non-offensive and beautiful!!

There are tonnes of casinos mixed in to the madness. As you walk by them you hear loud bells and whistles and sounds coming from the slot machines. Dan and I went into an arcade and played video games for a while too... that was fun!

We had a good trip, it was short and sweet. Glad I went!

Kimchi is the food for me!

I just wanted to say how much I love Kimchi!! It is a pickled cabbage that they serve with every meal here. One of the ladies that I work with brought Dan and I a whole big container of homemade kimchi today and I am more than excited to have it on hand!

Korea Korea!

I'm here safe and sound! Living it up in Paju, South Korea. About 12 miles from the N Korean border and an hour bus ride from downtown Seoul. I'm living with my brother Jason's friend Dan the Man. We have a sweet apartment with hardwood floors that are great for sliding around on. It's about a 10 minute walk from our place to school.

So far the people here in this country have been very hospitable and helpful. Our supervisors have also been wonderful with helping us get settled in!

Last Friday Dan and I went to Seoul to explore and have some dinner. Around midnight, we were walking in our neighbourhood, heading home from the bus stop and we were pulled onto a patio of a bar by some foreigners (from New Zealand and the States) who insisted that we have "a beer" with them. 3 beers and a bunch of Soju (nasty hard alchohol) later we eventually made it home. But this was after we went to their apartment (in the same complex as ours) and found the Kiwi laying on the floor in front of the elevator, next to his own puke... awsome! So, we went in and the American shot my leg with one of his air/bebee type guns (he had 4), then he showed us the weights he could lift and pumped those for a bit and showed us all the stuff he stole and the garbage that he's been tossing out the windows of his 10th floor apartment... we were so charmed that we had to leave.

It's been exciting so far and we're getting around just fine. Trying all sorts of food and slowly setting up our crazy nice apartment to suit our needs.

Just before I go...

I had a great summer! It started in June with Virgil's wedding (one of my very best friend's). I was the maid of honour and toasted the blushing bride. Next came July Long weekend. The big party at my lake lot that lasts a week with a pile of good friends. I look forward to it every year and I am going to miss that the most when I am gone. I am leaving for South Korea in about a month. I will be gone for a year. I am going there to teach English.



After July Long weekend my mom, Vonn, Jason, Kristy and me went to Fairmont hotsprings and spent about 4 or 5 nights. We golfed, swam, went in bumper boats and just chilled and played games. It was so much fun! Vonn turned 18 somewhere in between and we took him to the casino for some black jack and nickle slots. We all played a lot of poker this summer.



My other friends got married in August. Tatum and Steve. I gave grace before dinner. Then just this past Friday I was emceeing my other friends wedding (Ceanne and Peter), with my friend Catherine. It went over great! Everyone laughed at our jokes and everything!



So, all is well and I will be touch.

Spring time in Paris...

Arc De Triumph


Louvré

We have been in Paris for a few days now and this city is historic and beautiful! I went to the Eiffel tower the first night and it was all lit up! It's friggin huge! All made of metal.

Yesterday was museum D'Orseè, which was full of the Greats such as; Monet, Cezanne, Degas, VanGogh, Gougan and many many more. I was in my element! And they let us take pictures of the art work! Yessss.

Today was the Louvrè. 7 hours of walking through it, and there is still some of it left unseen by me. Today the tables finally turned with me and my mom! She was dragging her heels and she wanted to hurry up because she was getting bored. I usually get like that after we've been shopping for a few hours... she likes to shop for many hours... manyyyy hours... I don't really like shopping at all, so you can see how this has been a problem for me for the past few weeks... but today was sweet revenge! A reversal of roles! Finally... ha ha ha ha... HA HA HA HA... ok, that felt good.

The Louvrè is full of world famous Art from the stone age to the Egyption era, to the dark ages to the Renaissance... etc. It is an old palace turned into a museum; it's full of sculptures, tools, paintings, lavish rooms filled with lavish furniture, tapistries, jewlery, dishes, tombs and a real mummy from Egypt!!! Let me emphasize the hugeness of the building and grounds... HUGE, 7 hours didn't cut it, i needed longer. I saw the Mona Lisa, yes. She is very nice.

Paris is in bloom. There are many parks here and they are well groomed. They have shops for everything with fresh everything and variety like, whoa. Pork shops, cheese shops, olive oil shops!, bread shops, pastery shops, fish shops, fruit stands, vegi stands... etc. There is a stand for everything here. They have crepe stands like how New York has hot dog stands.

I saw the arc de triumph tonight... Napoleon wasn't kidding around when he said build me a monument! BIGGGGGGGG and Glorious!

I'm smack dab in the middle of monument land, I tell ya.

I have walked for about 11 hours today in total, no joke, and my feet are killing me. I'm looking forward to my comfy bed tonight, but first I have to walk home!!!

I choose Atlantis

Here's something I wrote when I was in Crete a week ago:

I sit here on a large slab of stone,
my blanket laid out,
rocks jutting out, everywhere,
I'm surrounded by water and stone.

Land masses in the distance,
they call them islands,
they look like large turtle backs surfacing the water.

Some are no bigger than the "mountain" in the center of Montreal.

They call it a mountain,
I call it a hill.
To each his own.

When I was in Montreal there was a French radio station, which played French music, that I listened to.

I loved it.
I taped it.
I'm listening to it now.
I love it.

I look around me now and I am reminded of the Cliff's of Insanity from Princess Bride. It feels like Wesley is going to rescue me soon, not that I need rescuing, but if he showed up, that's what he'd do.

Or maybe a merman is going to surface out of this sparkling turquoise bliss they call the Aegan sea.

He could pop his head out of the water that is but 3 feet from me now, and he'd grab my wrist and yank me into the water, give me a kiss, which would be the only way I could grow my tail, and we'd swim down to Atlantis.

There is a nearby island called Santorini, I go there in a few days. There is a myth that the lost city of Atlantis can be found in the waters of Santorini. That is where my merman is from, Atlantis. Sorry Wesley, today I choose Atlantis.

My brother has a boat....

So I am back in Athens now. From Crete we ferried to Santorini and stayed there for 2 days where I had a love affair with an Albanian man named.... none other than Leonardo! YESSSSSSSSS I got my Leonardo! It may not have been a DiCaprio, but hey, how can I complain.

The island used to be one, but was split up by a volcanic eruption. So now it is a semi circle of broken land around the center (which is called the caldera, or the volcano). One side is all cliff and the other side of the circle is sea level with black sand beaches.

I met a very handsome man named Leonardo in a restaurant that he was working in and he offered to take me dancing the first night. He came and picked me up with his motorcycle!! I didn't wear a helmet, because he didn't have one... I was nervous at first and then I later relaxed. His bike ran out of gas on route... we sorted that out after about 45 minutes. We didn't end up going to the club that night, but rather we enjoyed some wine and eachothers company...

So he was my island boyfriend for 2 days. He asked me to stay there with him, he told me that I wouldn't have to pay for anything and that he would look after me. All i would have to do is sleep until I wanted to wake up and go to the beach and he said we could be together from 4-7 pm on his breaks and after he was done work... please stay, don't go, when will you come back to see me? When can i see you again? We can go on vacations around Europe! etc etc etc...

Has anyone seen Shirly Valentine's movie where she goes to Europe (I think Greece) and a man tells her that his brother has a boat and that he'd take her sailing. She said yes, ok, I'll go, but I won't sleep with you. And next thing you know she's on the boat, rocking the boat (if you know what I mean)... anyways, he tells her to stay with him and asks when she'll come back etc etc etc. She goes back to America and then decides to return to see him and she goes into his restaurant and sees him talking to a woman saying "My brother has a boat"... ha ha ha... well I wonder about my Albanian man... "Let's go dancing." LOL. Anyways, I was a good girl and we had a lot of fun. It was my European 2 day love affair.

Good Friday. No, Great Friday!!!

It was good friday yesterday according to the Julian calander (which is what the Greek Orthodox people follow). My mom and I went to a small village called Elounta for dinner and then we walked around the center near the water. We went into a church and lit 3 bees wax candles for my deceased grandparents and deceased uncle... it was meaningful and special.

Just outside the church was a procession of about 200 people ready to make their way around the village and back to the church.
The front had a man carrying a wooden cross and he was surrounded with alter boys (I'm a baptised Greek Orthodox, so some of this was very familiar to me. Such as the alter boys and priests wardrobes and the singing/chanting that the priest did as we walked through the village). After the cross was the priest and a flowered chapel was propped up on the shoulders of 4 men (one at each corner) this chapel followed the priest. We'd walk about 40 seconds and then stopped and the priest would sing and then we'd walk again and stop again. The whole time the church bells were sounding out and locals were setting off fire crackers and fire works and periodically clanging pieces of metal that sounded like the church bells.

All store and restaurant owners along with their patrons came to the streets to watch the procession pass by. The all stood with their hands clasped in front of them and periodically crossing themselves in the Greek Orthodox manner... 3 times in a row.

I feel lucky to be here for their Easter. Tonight we are going to another town for more celebrations... soon it is the rising of Christ and that means a big party is coming to town! How exciting!

Spinalonga... sent there to die...

Last night we drove to a nearby village and accross from it sits an island of about 4 city blocks by 7 city blocks called Spinalonga. It was oringially an old Venitian fortress built in the late 1400's and was later turned into a place of exile. Up until the 1950's it was used as a leper colony... the sick were went there to live out the rest of their lives and eventually die there... isolated. The buildings on the island were dull and lifeless... the island reiked of death and suffering... it still gives me a very unsettled feeling just thinking about it. It reminds me of Dachau (a concentration camp I once visited in Germany). It's eerie and sad to look at.

Crete... it's paradise!

We are now in Crete staying at a Greek resort. From my balcony I can see our glorious pool and the grounds and then onward is the emerald Aegan sea. There are islands both nearby and off in the distance.

I see palm, olive and orange trees. The emerald waters glisten in the sun. White wash buildings with arches and small square windows and big windows with blue shutters.

We are in a place called Agios Nikolaus. The best part about our resort other that the view and the breakfasts is our private beach. You must first walk through the hotel and then a winding bush and tree filled path to get there. The hotel has a billiards room and several sitting rooms along the way with lavish couches and chairs. A ping pong table outside and a tennis court too. Trees and birds and white washed private villas for the really wealthy people is all that I pass to get to beach.

There are tiered stone slabs all over looking the sea with chairs and bamboo unbrellas, or you can sit in the sand if you like. The birds chirp away and the waves lap up on the stone and beach... it's absolutley beautiful! I'm in paradise.

Athens... the land of kisses and beauty!

I am in Athens Greece right now and it is beautiful! We went to see the Acrpolois yesterday and my mom took a piece of marble from the ground... very sneaky. It was surreal to see such ancient pieces of architecture with my own eyes, not in a text book.

Greece is warm, it was 28 degrees today. The greek salad, tzatiki and souvlaki is all amazing. I kissed my jewler today. I asked him for a discount on this great necklace (I paid a lot of money for it, but they all tell me it'll be worth it). anyways, I asked for a discount and he said if I give him 2 kisses on the cheek, so I did.

I also kissed a man that was sitting outside the restaurant my mom and I spent quite some time looking for. After many wrong turns and lots of directions given to us by the locals, we found it, so I asked him if this was the place and he said yes, and I kissed him. He told me that he'd sing me a song... turns out he was in the band that played the whole night, and he played classical guitar and sang with 2 other men (one played the bazooki). He was smiling away at me and my mom as he sang... he was charming.

We sat under an orange tree and ate traditional greek food while drinking red wine and clapping away to the music. The greeks danced and a few yelled out "Oppa"! A waiter brought me some flowers that he picked (I kissed him on the cheeks too). The table in front of us bought us a bottle of red wine and I got one of their phone numbers and e mail address too. I think i will call him when I return to Athens next week. Tomorrow we fly out to Crete (one of the islands).

We have shopped like crazy. Bought some jewlery and a few other things too. I can see the ocean from here, can't wait to go swim in it. The Acropolis sits high up on the top of a big hill and it is most beautifully lit up at night. I can see it from the block that my hotel is on... I love Greece! More later!

Love, Amie

Touch down and take off

So I have now returned from Montreal a little less than a week ago and I leave for Greece tomorrow morning and I will be flying for something crazy like 11 hours??

My decision to go to Montreal for the amount of time that I did was one of the best decisions I could have made. I had the most fun out there meeting my brother’s girlfriend, Kristy and the rest of his friends. I also got to spend a lot of time with Mulli and meeting her friends was also refreshing and new. I teared up as Jay and I hugged goodbye at the airport. I’m going to miss him… a lot.

I want to thank both Jay and Kristy for taking me under their wings in making sure I was safe and having fun. You guys were awesome!

About a week ago I danced on a bridge in Montreal and then I came home and wrote about it the next morning. So I want to share that:

Me & The Bridge

Last night I danced on a bridge.
The streets were wet from the rain that poured down earlier that night.

It was only me out there on that bridge. Me and my Discman.
Cars drove by, sure, but who are those faceless cars to me?

The bridge took me past the factory and over the desolate train tracks.
I smiled and jumped in circles with my arms spread out before me.
I was free.
Free from judgment and strange looks.
It was a good song and I wanted to dance.

Scattered throughout the city were church tops and bus stops and church peaks,
and steeples and domes.

Downtown stood off in the distance with its glorious buildings made of stone, glass and concrete. The windows had lights beaming out of them.

Random strobe lights from the tall downtown buildings shone out, circling light onto the city below.

The air was misty and foggy.

The music was pumping through my headphones.
And I danced.
And I sang.

Just me and the bridge.

Hillside beats

I’m sitting here listening to French music and it sounds so nice. The window is opened and the spring breeze is sweeping through the apartment. I can hear the traffic humming off in the distance.

Vonn left this morning and I am a little sad that he’s gone. I had so much fun hanging out with him and wandering the streets with him. Kristy and the sibs and I had a good week. We partied at the university bar on the night of the elections for the Student Union. We partied in a bookstore for a bit that night, which was an interesting environment to be drinking in. There was also beat boxing and free styling. It made for a unique party and a good way to spend my time.

On Tuesday Mulli and her friends and I went to a bar called Jello. It was Rastarific! There was live music (motown), we were sitting with the band and their friends. The lead singer wants me to make him a bracelet like the one I have. So next Tuesday I am meeting him back there (he plays there every Tues.) and he's bringing the beads and I'm bringing the hemp and I am going to make him a bracelet. To ensure that I do this he gave me one of his bracelets (made of wooden beads) and 2 pinky swears!! So, of course I will be going back there to live up to my promises.

Wednesday night was a wrap party and a preview of Vonn and Jay’s movie that they made last summer. It was held at a bar/restaurant. The night ended up back at Jay’s house and the four of us played UNO for hours, it was the never ending uno game, it was full of lots of laughter and fun.

For a short time Vonn was my travel companion and now he’s gone home. I still had a good day in spite of missing his presence. I walked down to this place at the bottom of the mountain (the mountain, being the only mountain in Montreal, which is in the center of the city… it’s actually a really really big hill, if you ask me, but hey, if they want to call it a mountain, by all means…). It is a large park full of grass, trees, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, beach volley- ball courts and bush. At the base of the mountain is a monument and around that monument on Sunday afternoons is an event called Tam Tam. Today was the first of the year, because it is finally warm enough to chill outside and enjoy the weather. Tam Tam is an event where tonnes of people get together with their hand drums, tambourines, and other percussive instruments and they have an all day jam session beating their drums and dancing and sitting and playing. There are spectators all over the grassy mountain- side listening and hanging out. Some people dance, some others lay and read, others throw a football around or a Frisbee, others puff a dubie and others have brought a guitar and are sitting there playing their own tune… it was an experience that I wish I could have again, but this is the last Sunday I am here, so it was my first and last experience for a while, I’m glad I caught it.

I am now certified to teach English as a second language! I received my certification last weekend, which was the last day of my course. One of my classmates is already set up with a job in China! So, that was fast. I’m not going to start applying for a job overseas until I get back from Europe in May.

I’m going to go and read my book, bye for now!

Me and my Sibs, just chillin'

So… so so so…. Things here are going great! I don’t feel much like a tourist anymore. I find that I am learning my way around the city very well! Vonster Monster (my little bro) got here on Thursday night, so it is me and my sibs hanging in Montreal. Me and the bros… it’s a nice feeling to be hanging with both of them again. It’ll be a time to remember.

I am almost done my TESL course! That means by tomorrow I will be certified to teach English as a second language overseas! My final presentation was today. I did good in spite of my red rashy neck. I get red… real red when I stand up in front of the class and have to teach anything that lasts longer than about 3 minutes… I hate it. In any case, I got through the 20 minute lesson and managed to have some fun while I was at it. YAY!

I have been out and about a lot since I have written last. I have been to a few house parties (one last weekend for St. Pattie’s day) and last night (just for fun). Both parties were large in number and cool in setting. Both in shared apartments (many room mates comfortably sharing one large apartment), hosted at different places by different hosts. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, old and beautiful light fixtures and door frames… everything here is old. Ambient lighting and good indie music. Smart and fun people… all around a great time was had, for many reasons.

I also went to the St Patrick’s day parade with Jay and his people. It was a party in the streets. I met them outside my school on my lunch break, caught the parade, had a few beer and went back to school. After school I met up with them all at a pub (which is where the pics are from). I met some Swiss guys, whose pictures these are, and I drank beer and danced all night. Casey (the curly haired, thoughtful looking one in the pic with 3 people) and I danced into the night… everyone else left, but she and I partied on! It was so much fun. I will write more soon, but for now I must go! Cheers! I hope this finds you readers well.