We're leaving on a jet plane...

This weekend i went to Montreal to visit my wife, currently working in Boucherville, QC. Definitely had a few memorable moments and as usual, might as well list 'em down before i forget..

• I arrived on Friday around 21:30 and what was supposed to take us a 30 minute ride back to her place, turned into a 2-hr discovery trail in and around Quebec! Let me just say, i never though i'd use the GPS on my new phone, but without it that night, we may still be looking for her place...
• Saturday we went to Sainte-Catherine (home of Supersexe!) to wander about their main thoroughfare and we ended up checking out the Montreal Fashion and Design Festival. They had 2 big catwalks setup just off a side street and luckily for them, the weather held up on overcase clouds all day/night and they were able to run 6-7 hrs of continuous catwalking/DJ-ing that day. The music and models were jammin' and it was the first 'fashion show' i've ever seen...pretty cool, but i got tired of it after a while.
• Heading back to the car at the end of the day, i caught a glimpse of another venue setup on the opposite of the street, about a block away. Curiously we checked it out and it was a lounge area, complete with a DJ spinning house grooves all day/night! Sick! Ended up having a drink there, while lounging on the white leather sofas and got to meet jojoflores while he was spinning his 3 hr-set (albeit to pretty much 5 peopls, but who cares, the music was wicked!). He invited us to a little restolounge that night where he was spinning and with tunes like that, we definiitely were going to check it out.
• Saw the Notre Dame cathedral - where Celine Dion got married. yay.
• At night, we went to Garcon (Sherbrooke and Peel) to check out jojoflores' night. When we got there, people were still eating but the house tunes were playing throughout the place and so we had a couple drinks by one of the tables by the empty dance floor. About an hour or so later, i guess when everyone was done eating and the drinks started flowing, we partied it up and the mixes were sick, the crowd was cool (older and fashionable) and the $10 glasses of wine were the only bump in the night. I've listened to jojo before but never knew what he looked like, and when he introduced himself to me, i was like 'wtf?' just like that..cool guy, will def check him out again.
• Sunday we went to go see Cirque De Soleil's production of OVO down by Old Montreal. Old Montreal itself is very beautiful and is a way better Distillery District (prob b/c it has real history) and definitely a must-see. The actual production however, was ok. But i guess this is coming from someone who's seen 3 previous Cirque shows (Varekai, O, Zumanity) and although the performances were spectacular, they were more spectacular the first time around. I think if you've seen one Cirque ,you've seen 70% of the rest of the shows. Funny thing was, it was a show about insects but i still can't figure out exactly what the story was..

So Tim and I planned to go to Whistler this year for one last boarding trip and to visit my family over there. Highlights of the week:

• Was great seeing my bro and his girlfriend again and to see that they are living a nice life in Vancouver. But seriously, we're all waiting for them to come back..but hey, with the beautiful environment and scenery there and good jobs, it is a tough decision..
• The founders of B.C. company had their brainstorm and eureka! idea moment this past weekend over a lot of Kokanees. Watch out for this revolutionary clothing line for overweight men! (lol its all a joke but in case we're really bored i wont divuge the details here..hahaha)
• Went to AMAZING Japanese restaurants around the Vancity area (thanks Candy for really proving it!). Toshi Sushi and Kingyo Izakaya were probably two of the best Japanese restos i've been to. We even had to lineup with around 15 other people for Toshi Sushi 15 ins before it opened at 5pm since it is a very popular local place.
• Tried Japadogs for the first time! http://www.japadog.com/en/ - taste it to believe it.
• Boarding - went to Blackcomb the first day and Whistler the second day. Forget boarding in Ontario period. The boarding on the second day was pretty crazy because it was snowing and pretty windy and we were actually in a storm. My bro and I went to the peak of Whistler in the storm..BIG MISTAKE. I thought i would get frostbite from the searing cold against my face and it was like whiteout conditions. We had to snowplow the whole way to avoid being wind-swept off the path and into who-knows-where...we even took off our board at one point and just walked down.. After the storm though, it opened up to clear blue skies and there was powder everywhere!!! Forget boarding in Ontario period.
• It was also the start of the Telus Ski and Snowboard festival and as such, there were a lot of people hanging around the village on the Fri and Saturday we were there. Caught an urban art show and just missed a skate competition.
• Kokanee moment - getting to our room and noticing it was freezing (someone left the balcony door open). So we were stading around in our jackets holding some beers and watching the Canucks game. Tim: "hey, it actually feels like we're at the game!" LOLLLL
• Kokanee moment #2 - Tim "I wonder who discovered Whistler?". Me: "Johnny Whistler dude". Tim " ah i see."
• On Sunday, we went to visit my cousins in Surrey and we ended up going to one of their boyfriends place to watch UFC 97 Silva vs Leites. Boring UFC. Great times with a beer bong/funnel lol. Eastside took the title home that night Yes Buck!
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• Spent the long weekend with Andrea and Victor in Boston for some good ol' shopping. I have to admit, i did do a bulk of the shopping lol and i didnt even get what i set out to get (Burberry trench).
• Tried Legal Seafoods for the first time. This is the company that has the best clam chowder i've ever tasted and is also responsible for serving every President clam chowder somepoint during their inauguration.
• Went to Wrentham Factory outlets for some serious shopping damage, even though we were supposed to play golf that day..good thing we didn't..it snowed at the outlets!
• Spent Easter Sunday at Andrea's brother-in-laws place. Susanna and Vinnie and their 3 adorable kids were gracious to let these 2 Canadians into their place for Easter and they have the smartest kids! We couldn't leave at the end of the afternoon because the kids wouldnt let me lol!

So I forgot to post this as I was living in England...might as well post it now before i forget these English-isms..

• The standard greeting is 'You awright?' instead of "Hey, How's it going?"
• Gas here is now £1.11/L (thats ~$2.22/L); i don't even want to remember how much we spent to fill our gas tank
• At work, its customary to ask everyone around you if they want tea and then you make as many as people said 'Yes'.... But I dont do this b/c I don't make tea very well.
• London (and combination of the Tube) is quite dirty..90% of the time when I come home from work and blow my nose, it's black-ish.
• The Tube (Bakerloo line at Piccadilly Circus) is freaking HOT in the afternoon and people packed like sardines...yes, this means some serious BO floating around.
• London is a super place to act as a jump-off point to other cities around Europe. Budget carriers like Ryanair or Easyjet fly out of the smaller airports (Luton, Stansted, Heathwick) and give very good deals...that we haven't been able to get since we travel peak-time (weekend).
• Chemist = Pharmacist; Surgery = Doctor's Office; Boot = car trunk; Queue = lineup; Brolly = umbrella; Lorry = truck; Jumper = sweater
• Roundabouts are way better than 4-way stops; keeps the traffic flow moving much better and funner(?) to drive!
  

• Tuesday - Headed to St. Paul's Cathedral and National Portrait Gallery for some last-minute sight-seeing to cover all the bases. Dome was pretty cool at the cathedral but still not as good as St. Peter's in the Vatican.
• Wednesday - Afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason; Boy is afternoon tea at a posh place pretty expensive or what? Small triangular-cut sandwiches and some scones and jam..and some tea. Nice experience. Also caught a show of Jersey Boys that night. Now THAT was a good show, right up there with Wicked i must say. Started off a bit slow but once they 'released their first hit 'Sherry'', it really picked up!
• Thursday - Visit to Hampton Court. Freezing cold but pretty cool palace to visit. Had to do one last English tourist thing before leaving.
• Friday - One last night in Piccadilly Circus. Took one last look around the neon lights and then caught the last tube ride to Waterloo, then onto Woking for the last time.

The next post will be a quick summary of our thoughts/feelings for spending the last 8-9 months in England.