At this time 6 years ago I believe I was on my flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was after my 12 hours in the German airport. Good times. I've been doing what find myself doing quite often recently, looking through my pictures and emails from when I was in Kumasi. I was watching some of the videos I took while at the children's home, and apparently I have not watched them in a while cause I was killing myself laughing. My girls were the cutest girls around.
I can't believe it's been 6 years since I left after making the best decision of my life. I was thinking of this earlier and I honestly can't think of a bigger, better decision.
In other news, it's been 3 months since I broke my arm. I slipped on the ice in February and hyper extended my arm. I knew that something was wrong right away and sat in my office at work waiting for my dad to get there to take me to minor emergency. I kept telling the girls at work the I didn't think it was broken, but that was just wishful thinking. After many hours sitting and waiting in the hospital for the doctor, he walked and told me that I'd need surgery. So the next day had my first ever surgery and 2 weeks after that had my second surgery cause the screws from the first one didn't hold. But after a month in a cast and another month I am brace of have close to full movement in my arm. Just some more physio appointments to go.
It is funny how different people think. When ever I mentioned to someone I slipped on the ice in front of the credit union the first question of got was "Are you gonna sue them?" I just don't get that thinking, cause it's winter in Saskatchewan and there is likely going to be some ice. I just got unlucky and sh*t happens. At least is wasn't an old lady or someone pregnant.
But I really should say thanks to the doctors and nurses and anyone else who helped me out. Since I'd never been to the Victoria Hospital before I didn't know what to expect, but it was fine.
Also I should say thanks to my parents who let me live with them for a week after each of my surgeries while I was still a little drugged up. I got a lot of Netflix watching in.
Ok, this post kinda jumped around a bit, but it wouldn't be a post of mine without that.
That's all I got for you right now. Just over one month until my next holiday so I'll talk to you all then.
P.s. Blog title is just a really good song. Check out The Sound of Silence by Disturbed
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
On the Road Again
Post title brought to you by my mom's favourite singer.
It's that time of year again. Yup, I started searching Expedia.ca for flights to... somewhere. I was thinking cheap this year, which rules out the US and basically anywhere else. So Canada it is. My first thought? Wow, flights are really expensive to go anywhere in Canada. So after a bit of time searching for cheap and interesting places to go (including Winnipeg, P.E.I. and Quebec City) I came up with Victoria. Ok, maybe it is because that's where my parents just came back from on their holidays. But I've also heard so many good things about the city. That, and the flights were not expensive at all.
So I booked my flights there for a week. Booked my hostel room for also a week. Luckily I booked the same week for both and so at the end of June I'm headed to Victoria. I'm pretty excited, but really shouldn't have booked it this early, cause man, I don't wanna wait for 2 months.
I've heard of a few good places to go while I'm there. The hostel I booked is within walking distance of what I want to see. Because when I stay somewhere, I really don't want to have to rent a car, so my "walking distance" is anything that is with an hour walk. It could also be more than an hour if you go by some of the walks my cousin and I did in Europe last year (there was a couple that were 1 1/2 to 2 hours with a 20 lb backpack).
The room I booked is just a single room, I could've gone with the dorm for a little cheaper but at the end of the day I really just want to sit a read a book. There is a little bar/cafe thing right in the hostel that I can go to if I want. Most importantly, there is a grocery store about a block away. So I can get cheaper food than just eating at a restaurant the whole week.
Not a thrilling post I know, but lets be honest, this is never anywhere close to thrilling. I strive for "slightly above boring". I'm probably not even there either.
It's that time of year again. Yup, I started searching Expedia.ca for flights to... somewhere. I was thinking cheap this year, which rules out the US and basically anywhere else. So Canada it is. My first thought? Wow, flights are really expensive to go anywhere in Canada. So after a bit of time searching for cheap and interesting places to go (including Winnipeg, P.E.I. and Quebec City) I came up with Victoria. Ok, maybe it is because that's where my parents just came back from on their holidays. But I've also heard so many good things about the city. That, and the flights were not expensive at all.
So I booked my flights there for a week. Booked my hostel room for also a week. Luckily I booked the same week for both and so at the end of June I'm headed to Victoria. I'm pretty excited, but really shouldn't have booked it this early, cause man, I don't wanna wait for 2 months.
I've heard of a few good places to go while I'm there. The hostel I booked is within walking distance of what I want to see. Because when I stay somewhere, I really don't want to have to rent a car, so my "walking distance" is anything that is with an hour walk. It could also be more than an hour if you go by some of the walks my cousin and I did in Europe last year (there was a couple that were 1 1/2 to 2 hours with a 20 lb backpack).
The room I booked is just a single room, I could've gone with the dorm for a little cheaper but at the end of the day I really just want to sit a read a book. There is a little bar/cafe thing right in the hostel that I can go to if I want. Most importantly, there is a grocery store about a block away. So I can get cheaper food than just eating at a restaurant the whole week.
Not a thrilling post I know, but lets be honest, this is never anywhere close to thrilling. I strive for "slightly above boring". I'm probably not even there either.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Beasts of No Nation
I thought I'd tell you about a little movie. Well, not a little movie I suppose. The movie is called Beasts of No Nation and the cast of this movie includes Idris Elba who starred as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The movie, set in an unnamed West African country, is about a boy named Agu who eventually becomes a child soldier and it follows his story. The movie is really quite good, except for one thing... it's filmed in Ghana. Now you may think, really Lisa, you should think this is a good thing, you love the country and it would be good for the country. Which is totally true. It's a great thing for the country. But let me tell you what went on while I watched said movie.
Back on new years eve I was at mom and dad's place not doing anything as per usual, I just really don't care too much about new years eve. So mom and dad were out somewhere that evening so I was stealing their Nexflix to watch a movie or two. I had heard about this movie before and didn't realize it was filmed in Ghana but I searched for it and sat down ready to watch a good movie. About 1-2 minutes into the film I was sitting there going "why does this language sound so familiar?" and "does the city and scenery really look like Ghana?". I came to the conclusion that maybe it was filmed in Ghana and that maybe it was Twi they are speaking. I googled it and found out that I was correct and it was filmed in Ghana (Koforidua and Akwidaa to be exact). Finding this out was extremely exciting. I watched the next 15 minutes in absolute glee. I could understand a lot of the speaking even though it was not in English. I even thought at one point that what the subtitles said was not really what the character said, although it did get the point across (maybe I was just being picky). I must have had the biggest smile on my face while watching the beginning of the movie. It starts just with the Agu and his friends and family around town establishing the character. I was excited the a country and people that are so near and dear to my heart were on the big screen. Now, while this was fantastic and all that, it was during this first 15 minutes or so that I completely forgot this was a movie about a child soldier and war itself.
The fact that I forgot what the main story of this movie was was particularly jarring after the first 15-20 minutes were up. It was at this point that the government and the rebel forces start fighting in Agu's village. Which inevitably leads to more fighting, shooting and killing while Agu and his older brother try and flee to safety. This part in the film lasts for a while, and while it should have been expected for a film with this story line, I had forgotten what the movie was about in my excitement that the movie was filmed in Ghana and the language being Twi. So to say the fighting, shooting and killing were a shock is very much an understatement. I spent the next few minutes watching the movie in shock and in tears. It caught me of guard that this place that I love was being shown like this. Now, I know this is a movie, the plot of the movie states that this takes place in an unnamed West African country, it isn't happening now in Ghana either. But wow, did this movie affect me in an extremely strong way. It was crazy. I actually almost stopped the movie as I could not watch it any more.
But finally the killing stopped, it calmed down a bit and the story continued. They stopped speaking in Twi for the most part and it was mostly English. I started to calm down myself and quite enjoyed the rest of the movie. Idris Elba was really good. The young Ghanaian actor whose feature film debut was this film, Abraham Attah, actually presented an award the the Oscars. The film and both Elba and Attah have won a few awards and Elba became the first movie actor to win a Screen Actors Guild Award and not be nominated for an Oscar.
I don't really know where to take this story now, there really is no moral of the story or anything like that, this is me were talking about. I do think its interesting how some movies or tv shows can affect people so strongly and have people have such an emotional response to it. How you can get so into a movie that you forget that the actor is playing the character (ie; Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight) and just get immersed in the movie.
In the end, I highly recommend watching this movie. I really do need to go watch it again to see what I missed in the first half hour.
That's about it for now, I got nothing else for you at the moment....
P.S. Wow, a whole post without an obscure reference to a random movie! I don't know if I'm proud or disappointed in myself.
Back on new years eve I was at mom and dad's place not doing anything as per usual, I just really don't care too much about new years eve. So mom and dad were out somewhere that evening so I was stealing their Nexflix to watch a movie or two. I had heard about this movie before and didn't realize it was filmed in Ghana but I searched for it and sat down ready to watch a good movie. About 1-2 minutes into the film I was sitting there going "why does this language sound so familiar?" and "does the city and scenery really look like Ghana?". I came to the conclusion that maybe it was filmed in Ghana and that maybe it was Twi they are speaking. I googled it and found out that I was correct and it was filmed in Ghana (Koforidua and Akwidaa to be exact). Finding this out was extremely exciting. I watched the next 15 minutes in absolute glee. I could understand a lot of the speaking even though it was not in English. I even thought at one point that what the subtitles said was not really what the character said, although it did get the point across (maybe I was just being picky). I must have had the biggest smile on my face while watching the beginning of the movie. It starts just with the Agu and his friends and family around town establishing the character. I was excited the a country and people that are so near and dear to my heart were on the big screen. Now, while this was fantastic and all that, it was during this first 15 minutes or so that I completely forgot this was a movie about a child soldier and war itself.
The fact that I forgot what the main story of this movie was was particularly jarring after the first 15-20 minutes were up. It was at this point that the government and the rebel forces start fighting in Agu's village. Which inevitably leads to more fighting, shooting and killing while Agu and his older brother try and flee to safety. This part in the film lasts for a while, and while it should have been expected for a film with this story line, I had forgotten what the movie was about in my excitement that the movie was filmed in Ghana and the language being Twi. So to say the fighting, shooting and killing were a shock is very much an understatement. I spent the next few minutes watching the movie in shock and in tears. It caught me of guard that this place that I love was being shown like this. Now, I know this is a movie, the plot of the movie states that this takes place in an unnamed West African country, it isn't happening now in Ghana either. But wow, did this movie affect me in an extremely strong way. It was crazy. I actually almost stopped the movie as I could not watch it any more.
But finally the killing stopped, it calmed down a bit and the story continued. They stopped speaking in Twi for the most part and it was mostly English. I started to calm down myself and quite enjoyed the rest of the movie. Idris Elba was really good. The young Ghanaian actor whose feature film debut was this film, Abraham Attah, actually presented an award the the Oscars. The film and both Elba and Attah have won a few awards and Elba became the first movie actor to win a Screen Actors Guild Award and not be nominated for an Oscar.
I don't really know where to take this story now, there really is no moral of the story or anything like that, this is me were talking about. I do think its interesting how some movies or tv shows can affect people so strongly and have people have such an emotional response to it. How you can get so into a movie that you forget that the actor is playing the character (ie; Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight) and just get immersed in the movie.
In the end, I highly recommend watching this movie. I really do need to go watch it again to see what I missed in the first half hour.
That's about it for now, I got nothing else for you at the moment....
P.S. Wow, a whole post without an obscure reference to a random movie! I don't know if I'm proud or disappointed in myself.
Monday, October 19, 2015
"If I hide myself wherever I go..."
"...am I ever really there?"
This week on "What in the world is this a quote from?" Brought to you by the Barenaked Ladies song "For You". It's a great song and I would suggest you go and youtube it, but I know nobody will so I'll just skip that part.
I had so many good ideas for a new blog post just a couple of days ago, but that has since past and now I don't know what I was going to do.
My cousin and I have been back from our trip for over a month now so we all settled back into home. I must say, that kind of travelling is different from what I have done. The travelling I've done is either going to Africa for 2 or 3 months and staying in one spot, or going to one city (ie; Toronto or Ottawa) and staying in a hotel then coming back home. I totally enjoyed the whole staying in a city for a few days, then deciding where to go next and how to get there. There were quite a few morning where we woke up not knowing what we were going to do that day, and those days were some of the best.
My favourite parts probably were Doune Castle, Edinburgh and Bruges. Doune Castle for obvious reasons, that was cool to see and very enjoyable. Edinburgh as a city was beautiful, and although that hostel was the containers hostel, it was probably one of my favourites. Bruges I had heard so many good things about before we left from many, many different people and I think I agree with all of them. I definitely recommend that city to anyone travelling to Belgium. I liked Iceland to while we were there, but we only had just over 24 hours there so didn't get to see much. I would like to go again and maybe rent a car or something like that. That'd be cool.
Brussels and Dusseldorf were also very nice and would recommend them to anyone. Although I think Dusseldorf is a little less touristy, so it's still a nice city, but not as much to see, and definitely less English. I wish we could've gotten to Berlin, but it was too far and too expensive so maybe next time?
I don't know about any of you guys, but every once in a while, usually when I am travelling, there will be a certain time or a certain place where everything just seems right. I don't really know how to explain it and I don't even know if "seems right" is the correct way of putting it. Its a calm, quite moment where you just have to be quiet and soak up the moment and realize where you are and what you're a doing. Although quiet is not hard to do for me, but hopefully you kinda know what I mean.
I'll let you know the few moments I can recall where I felt like this (in no particular order)
The first one is after the 2013 Grey Cup. After all the crazy screaming, yelling and Heeeennnnrrryyy-ing that was included in the entire Grey Cup game, once almost everyone had left the stadium exept for only a few (a few as in likely a thousand or so, I don't really know) there was a moment. Once the cup had been presented and the fans all streamed out onto Albert St, my brother, his friend and I just stood in our seats and looked around for a few minutes. We didn't say anything (that I remember) and didn't try to rush out of Taylor Field. I don't know about the other 2, but I was just standing there soaking up the moment, yeah, it's just football, but to us in Saskatchewan, it's not really just football. After a while, we left the stadium and joined the other Rider fans on the street and so on, that was also wicked fun.
The second one was during my second trip to Ghana. I can't remember which day it was exactly, but it was close-ish to the end of my 5 months in total in Kumasi. At the very end of the day, I ended up sitting of the roof of the building next to my house. I wrote about it before but that was a while ago, it was a 2 or 3 story building that was in the same yard as where I stayed in Kumasi, I was kinda the shell of a building that at one point was going to be built, but never really got to being finished. I would quite often find myself on the roof of this building, you could see a lot of Kumasi from there, and also could see a beautiful sunset as well. This one night in particular, I found myself on the roof just listening to the city at night. I don't remember what was special about the one evening, but it was memorable.
The last one I can think of at this moment is the day after Remembrance Day last year. Yeah, I know, how could I not say Remembrance Day itself. While it was the entire reason for the trip and was one of the most memorable days of my life, there was to many people around to have that one quiet moment. No, the time I'm talking about is the day after, I had a few hours before I had to go to the airport to fly home, so I decided to go back to the War Memorial and see if the poppies we had all put on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were still there. They all were, along with other notes and letters and things left for those who fought for our country. While there were still people there, it was considerably less people, and I think we were all kinda thinking the same thing. Nobody really spoke to each other, we just stood there thinking, or reading the notes and letters left behind. I don't know if I could ever explain that feeling. It was just as powerful to be at that place the day after Remembrance Day.
Ok, that was a little too deep. I feel like I need a joke to lighten the mood. What did the blanket say when it fell off the bed? Oh Sheet. Hahaha C'mon, that was hilarious. No? Well, it made me giggle.
Now I don't really know how to end this. So I'll just...umm....bye?
This week on "What in the world is this a quote from?" Brought to you by the Barenaked Ladies song "For You". It's a great song and I would suggest you go and youtube it, but I know nobody will so I'll just skip that part.
I had so many good ideas for a new blog post just a couple of days ago, but that has since past and now I don't know what I was going to do.
My cousin and I have been back from our trip for over a month now so we all settled back into home. I must say, that kind of travelling is different from what I have done. The travelling I've done is either going to Africa for 2 or 3 months and staying in one spot, or going to one city (ie; Toronto or Ottawa) and staying in a hotel then coming back home. I totally enjoyed the whole staying in a city for a few days, then deciding where to go next and how to get there. There were quite a few morning where we woke up not knowing what we were going to do that day, and those days were some of the best.
My favourite parts probably were Doune Castle, Edinburgh and Bruges. Doune Castle for obvious reasons, that was cool to see and very enjoyable. Edinburgh as a city was beautiful, and although that hostel was the containers hostel, it was probably one of my favourites. Bruges I had heard so many good things about before we left from many, many different people and I think I agree with all of them. I definitely recommend that city to anyone travelling to Belgium. I liked Iceland to while we were there, but we only had just over 24 hours there so didn't get to see much. I would like to go again and maybe rent a car or something like that. That'd be cool.
Brussels and Dusseldorf were also very nice and would recommend them to anyone. Although I think Dusseldorf is a little less touristy, so it's still a nice city, but not as much to see, and definitely less English. I wish we could've gotten to Berlin, but it was too far and too expensive so maybe next time?
I don't know about any of you guys, but every once in a while, usually when I am travelling, there will be a certain time or a certain place where everything just seems right. I don't really know how to explain it and I don't even know if "seems right" is the correct way of putting it. Its a calm, quite moment where you just have to be quiet and soak up the moment and realize where you are and what you're a doing. Although quiet is not hard to do for me, but hopefully you kinda know what I mean.
I'll let you know the few moments I can recall where I felt like this (in no particular order)
The first one is after the 2013 Grey Cup. After all the crazy screaming, yelling and Heeeennnnrrryyy-ing that was included in the entire Grey Cup game, once almost everyone had left the stadium exept for only a few (a few as in likely a thousand or so, I don't really know) there was a moment. Once the cup had been presented and the fans all streamed out onto Albert St, my brother, his friend and I just stood in our seats and looked around for a few minutes. We didn't say anything (that I remember) and didn't try to rush out of Taylor Field. I don't know about the other 2, but I was just standing there soaking up the moment, yeah, it's just football, but to us in Saskatchewan, it's not really just football. After a while, we left the stadium and joined the other Rider fans on the street and so on, that was also wicked fun.
The second one was during my second trip to Ghana. I can't remember which day it was exactly, but it was close-ish to the end of my 5 months in total in Kumasi. At the very end of the day, I ended up sitting of the roof of the building next to my house. I wrote about it before but that was a while ago, it was a 2 or 3 story building that was in the same yard as where I stayed in Kumasi, I was kinda the shell of a building that at one point was going to be built, but never really got to being finished. I would quite often find myself on the roof of this building, you could see a lot of Kumasi from there, and also could see a beautiful sunset as well. This one night in particular, I found myself on the roof just listening to the city at night. I don't remember what was special about the one evening, but it was memorable.
The last one I can think of at this moment is the day after Remembrance Day last year. Yeah, I know, how could I not say Remembrance Day itself. While it was the entire reason for the trip and was one of the most memorable days of my life, there was to many people around to have that one quiet moment. No, the time I'm talking about is the day after, I had a few hours before I had to go to the airport to fly home, so I decided to go back to the War Memorial and see if the poppies we had all put on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were still there. They all were, along with other notes and letters and things left for those who fought for our country. While there were still people there, it was considerably less people, and I think we were all kinda thinking the same thing. Nobody really spoke to each other, we just stood there thinking, or reading the notes and letters left behind. I don't know if I could ever explain that feeling. It was just as powerful to be at that place the day after Remembrance Day.
Ok, that was a little too deep. I feel like I need a joke to lighten the mood. What did the blanket say when it fell off the bed? Oh Sheet. Hahaha C'mon, that was hilarious. No? Well, it made me giggle.
Now I don't really know how to end this. So I'll just...umm....bye?
Saturday, September 12, 2015
One...Two...Five!
Figured I should post on here again since we are on the way back home. The last time I updated you guys we were just in our way too Brussels. Now that seems like a long time ago.
We stayed three nights in Brussels. I like that city actually, it was nice. One of the days we were there we went to the Belgium Military Museum (or something like that) and walked around there. The had a separate place where they had probably like over 20 planes. It was awesome, and I made a point to take a load of pictures cause I knew dad would be jealous. They even had 2 different Canadian military planes.
After our time in Brussels we took a bus to Düsseldorf and stayed there for 4 nights. Düsseldorf was nice as well although there was very little English. I can count on 1 hand the amount of English speakers we came across. Which doesn't bother me too much but can be tiring if your not used to it. We wandered around the city and went up in the tower that there is, that was pretty cool. We took a train to Frankfurt and just stayed there the one night.
Yesterday we flew to Iceland which we were looking forward too. If I had longer here I think I'd really enjoy it. It's a beautiful country. Although I would probably rent a car if you're here for a while, we didn't get a taxi back to the airport and instead walked for 2 hours. That was fun....
Anyway, we are just hanging out at the airport at the moment waiting for the flight to Edmonton.
I'll see everyone when I get back and I shall update this thing again likely. Likely when I have a computer and not just my phone that it a pain to type on.
BYE!
Thursday, September 3, 2015
"Come see the Violence Inherent in the System"
Well after a wonderful couple of days in Bruges, we are leaving today to head to Brussels. We were thinking of going to Berlin but that is on the other side of Germany and quite expensive to get there, so Brussels it is then. We booked our next hostel for 3 nights and from there we will go to Germany then to Reykjavik and on home. It's just over a week before we head home and it's gone by pretty fast.
The hostel we stayed in here in Bruges has the most uncomfortable bed I've ever slept in. It is like sleeping on a cement block. I won't miss the bed at all. I will miss the city though, it's awesome. But I am looking forward to going to Brussels and seeing what is there.
I can't really think of anything else interesting to tell you guys. I will say though that Bruges is probably the easiest city to get around in. And to not get lost in. It drove us crazy in Edinburgh cause I swear that none of the streets have signs on them so it's difficult to tell what street your on. Which doesn't work well when you're trying to find your hostel. Or walking for 2 hours to find the ferry you need to take in Hull. Yup, 2 hours with about 25 lbs on your back. That was kinda exhausting but I do enjoy all the money I likely saved not getting a taxi.
You'll be happy to know that I think I've already taken like 400 pictures at least. I've been kinda picture happy.
That's all I got for now, but it's like 3:30 in the morning (not a soul in sight. City's looking like a ghost town, on a moonless summer night...) cough cough... haha. Anyway, it's the middle of the night right now where you guys are so ya'll won't see this until later sooo...bye for now.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
'Cause I'm a Lowlife...*
Hey all! (Or like, the two people that read this). I figured I should update you all since I haven't in a few days. Well other than that Happy Birthday post to my dearest mother.
We are currently in Bruges, Belgium at the moment and I must thank all the people that recommended this city for us to go to as it is quickly becoming a favourite. To get here we took a ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge. It was a 13 1/2 hour ride that was also overnight. I wasn't sure if I could make the trip without getting seasick, but surprisingly I was perfectly fine which was nice. When we got off the ferry we had to get our passports stamped to get into Belgium. That actually took longer than I thought as the guy had some sort of an issue with Grant's passport and after about 5 minutes of talking with the other dude stamping the passports we were finally let in. Well, it also took me giving the guy my phone to look at my confirmation email for the hostel we are currently staying in. I'm not sure what the issue was, but it's kinda funny now that we have been let in and it's all good.
I don't think I posted about Edinburgh (sorry, that was a squirrel moment). I quite like that city as well. While we were there we ran across a festival of some sort. There were a lot of buskers (street performers) all over the place. We saw some really entertaining ones and I did catch some on video as well. Our hostel for that Edinburgh was actually just a whole bunch of shipping containers put together which was a little different. I knew that's basically what it was when I booked it but didn't bother to tell Grant as it was funnier that way.
Also, if you're wondering (you're might not be but I'm going to tell you anyway), I did through a little party for Grant's 18th birthday. I bought a happy birthday banner, a cake, candles (not lit though, we were inside) and a present and card. So that was fun, we spent his birthday in a small hostel in Hull watching Interstellar.
That's all I have for you now. I'm actually typing this Monday night, and once a connect to some WiFi I'll post it.
*The reason for the title is I didn't know what to title this blog as I'm not creative but I do recall a comment from my Dad o a post from a couple of years ago saying something about titling a post "Cause I'm a Lowlife". So I'm naming it that just for him.
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