John and Anna on Tour

REVIEW SOMETHING

2009-09-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

Book: The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

It is lucky children do not fully understand the implications of intimidation when they are handed The Great Gatsby and instructed to complete a 500 word essay on 'how the protagonist and the landscape of The Great Gatsby are intertwined and what relevance this has to the American Dream...with examples.'

I have recently re-read and re-loved Gatsby and would implore you to do the same. If for no other reason than the fact you can read it, enjoy it and put it back without having to analyse the fun out of it. Anther bonus is that you will find this book at any good second hand dealer, I picked up mine for $2.

I will leave it at that, no critique, observation or plot analysis...with examples. Just because I can and with the realisation that sometimes, just sometimes, it is good to be an adult.

REVIEW SOMETHING

2009-08-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

ALBUM: The Woolshed Sessions - Various

Ancient Maori myth tells a story of how ‘the Gods sang the earth into existence’, a truly beautiful belief to gravitate towards. The gods were singing a particularly dulcet tune when they created The Woolshed Sessions. It is the product of nine local musicians of the highest calibre enjoying a four day jam session in, you guessed it, a Woolshed. Age Pryor, the inspiring figure behind this collaboration, has long been a significant thread in the fabric that is an increasingly eclectic, unique and talented Wellington music scene. The additional artists provide vocal and instrumental support in the form of the guitar, bass, drums, lap-steel Guitar and Taonga Puoro (traditional Maori instruments).

From the first note in the opening track Hey You Lee Prebble’s lap-steel sets the tone of the album; an airy, resonanating sound and while there is no doubting its splendour, Lee does over indulge slightly throughout the album, only missing out on a few songs. Stringing Me Along then absorbs like lanolin into your every pour, it's an infectious sing-along lead by the 2009 Silver Scroll nominated Jess Chambers. Age Pryor continues the upbeat tempo with I’ll not bother you, a swinging number juxtaposed by a story of rejection and missed opportunity; ‘But you don’t know I exist, that I know for sure.’ Jess’s next vocal lead in Only Your Arms is a mournful ballad recorded at such high definition that Jess’s parting lips are ever so slightly distinguishable on the opening line, a subtle human impurity the gods would envy. It is an album that manages to capture the essence and feel of live music without all the hoots and holla’s from a rowdy crowd that can often become tiresome. The beating heart of the album comes in the shape of a humble guitar. In Violence on the Quiet it vibrates, hammers, clicks and tinkles simultaneously under the influence of the sessionistas.

The story of The Woolshed Sessions can be traced back to the success of the Fly My Pretties concept, an idea that brings various artists together for a brief moment in time, not as a band but as a collaboration. One track worth noting on the 2005 album The Return of Fly My Pretties entitled Catch the Light, performed by Barnaby Weir and Lee Prebble, displays distinctively similar features as this latest kiwi Collaborative effort and there is an obvious ancestral link here.

We all know that when you buy local you are guaranteed fresh, full flavoured produce. So get yourself out there this week and consume something local.

Thanks to little Glenny for the heads up on this one. If you have an album that keeping you awake at night then let me know and we will share the love.

Sydney 19 - 18

2009-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

You can't go to Sydney and not take a photo of the Bridge.

La Crosse - someone once told me it is hurling for pansies, I wasn't prepared to tell it to these guys.

An eerily quiet first half gave way to boisterous admiration from All Blacks supporters and boisterous desperation from the Wallabies crowd. Jonathon Kaplin managed to silence 80,000 people with his first half antics, even rugby purists of the highest knowledge would have found it difficult to explain to the Mrs what was going on. It became very clear that the main attraction was a small South African with a big whistle. That was until the main attraction became a young man with an uncanny knack for the big occasion, oh how we lavished praise upon him when that kick sailed over, there was a lot of love in ANZ Stadium.

Saturday mornings entertainment was an ocean swim from Manly Beach to Shelly beach and back, the 'and back' portion of the journey had to be abandoned due to a lack of stamina and stomach stability. The evening (and afternoon) prior had been enjoyed in high spirits and the old saying; 'what goes up must come down' was proven true yet again. The highlight of the swim, aside from finishing it, was seeing an ironically named 'Gummy Shark'. It's like naming a member of the sloth species the 'Hasty Sloth'. It was not a big one but that familiar steady sway of the tail was enough to get me swimming to shore with a little extra effort. Besides, I'm sure they're not called 'Gummy Sharks' because they don't have any teeth.

Couldn't let you get away without one of the Opera House...

REVIEW SOMETHING

2009-08-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

ALBUM: Nick Drake – Pink Moon

The tale of Nick Drake is a tragic one, he was a reclusive yet highly talented personality who died at the tender age of 26. Musically he left behind three albums, the last of which is entitled Pink moon. It is only in death that he has been able to gain critical and popular acclaim for his music. As I mentioned; a notoriously coy character, perhaps this is the way he would have wanted it.

It is difficult to measure the longevity of popular music's influence just at the moment, it is still a relatively new movement. Ancient Greeks and Romans passed stories of heroes and villains down through generations, great artists and sculptors are often immortalised in their artworks and great politicians are remembered for their contributions to societies. Perhaps popular musicians are the newest of those elusive immortal creatures, those who are capable of posthumous influence. It is only in death that Nick Drakes music has gathered a cult following of fans and while his influence may not be wide, it is deep.

Folk music provides a coupling of minimalist instumentals and thoughtful, thought provoking storytelling which seems to harmonise well with Generation Y’s current inclinations. If minimalist mumblings of considered lyrics is to your liking then Nick Drake is your man and Pink moon is a great place to start. I will warn you though, Pink moon is a little gloomy, but hey, we all get a little down sometimes. It is often described as his most critically acclaimed and least accessable album, it is also notably short but not always to the point.

Drakes voice and his very accomplished solitary guitar dominate throughout the entire album, this simplicity of sound is exemplified on Track 7 entitled ‘Know.’ It consisits simply of 4 notes (E, A, A minor, B) plucked on an acoustic guitar and only four lines of lyrics. Where Nick Drake succeeds is in his delivery, each song is performed like he means it. You feel as though he is reading you his diary, all of his thoughts and feelings emotionalised into melody. There is an innocent feel to Drakes voice in Pink Moon. If the medium is the message then perhaps it is not necessarily Drakes intonation that suggests naivety but the infereor recording equipment of the era, when compared with today’s crisp capabilities that we are all used to.

Mudjimba

2009-08-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

Old Woman Island in the background, John and Anna in the foreground, a shadow of our former selves...couldn't help myself.

'Like going away on holiday'. A phrase often used when spending an afternoon at Mudjimba Beach. It's a sleepy village located in a national park only 10 mins drive north of Maroochydore. The wild and windy beach seems all the more dramatic for the scarred island only meters off shore, slowly but surely making its getaway from the mainland. It's called 'Old Woman Island', for what reason I have no idea. It does not resemble an old woman, house old woman or attract old woman.

You don't go to Mudjimba to search boutique stores for hidden treasures or to wine and dine your loved one. Mudjimba speaks to the heart and soul of why we live on the Sunshine Coast, beautiful peaceful beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see. You might share the beach with the odd fisherman or fellow wanderer, or maybe not. It is sad but true, I am a Virgo and I like long walks on the beach. Perhaps it is the influence of the Hyundai Elantra we are now driving, a mature car for mature people...and us, the youngest Elantra drivers on the Coast. I can assure you though, the fuel efficiency is quite astounding.

REVIEW SOMETHING

2009-08-06T23:48:00.001-07:00

True, the Touring has ended...for now. So, with all this extra time and money I thought it would be a good idea to review a few things I have been spending my time and money on. You never know, you may wish to spend your time and money on some of these things too.

ALBUM: Bonjah – Until Dawn

Really good music for me, more than anything else, evokes a sense of time and place, a moment, a memory. Just as an image in a photograph allows you to remember the past, a melody or riff will take you right back there. It’s personal. Until Dawn has this effect on me. I purchased the album while overseas on i-tunes, an unnervingly easy experience, and it quickly became the album of choice for every occasion. There is nothing quite like fresh, good quality music from your home country to raise spirits and swell pride while abroad.

My memory of university is patchy at best; glimpses of colour, sound and movement occasionally enter my conscious mind, often as I am trying furiously to slip into unconsciousness. One of these stirrings involves a dimly lit, smokey Dunedin University pub where the boys are hovering over their crates of beer while the girls are hovering over an amazingly talented cover band named Jaded, a three piece consisting of Glen, Regan and Dave (now the core of Bonjah). They were obviously skilled musicians but the strength of Glen’s voice was then an unknown quantity, crowds would almost always sing along at full drunken voice to Jaded’s impeccably chosen cover tracks. Only seconds into Spin with the World, the first track on Until Dawn, you realise Glens voice has strength in abundance and a unique quality that keeps you coming back for more. Furthermore, what I think makes this debut studio album very special, is that behind Glen`s unique vocals and insanely catchy melodies are lyrics with sufficient depth to warrant the dive. A couple of years of hard work beating the streets in Melbourne`s busking music scene has done them many favours. Fans now sing along at full voice to songs penned and scored by the lads themselves. At the heart of it all these guys are passionate and educated musicians of the purist soul, the trimmings associated with the music industry is certainly not the fuel on Bonjah’s fire.

Those who love to label things will find it difficult to pigeonhole Bonjah. Their influences are obviously many and varied. I have read their music described as roots, alternative and even pop. Perhaps it is all these things but above all, they`re just really really good.

An extremely exciting debut studio album, watch this space.

Check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/bonjahband

Sunshine Beach

2009-08-06T23:03:00.001-07:00

ooh ooh ooh...ah ah ah

Contemplating

Towards 'A Bay'

Looking South across Sunshine, Sunrise and Castaways Beaches

Just because we have arrived back to the part of the world we are calling, for lack of a better word, 'home' it does not mean the adventure must end. In fact, quite the opposite. When abroad you often find yourself thinking; 'I wish I'd seen or done...when I was back 'home.' Anna and I often discussed at length all the wonderful things we must see and do when we get back to the Sunshine Coast. So, after a couple of weeks of settling in, we've started ticking off that endless list of 'stuff to do.'

Noosa National Park carries a lot of hype, a lot of which stems from the same people who love to tell about how much they just adore Hastings street, First Beach and everything that is so delightful about Newsa Darling. Aside from all that, the National Park is a pretty special spot. The best and most discreet way to start the National Park walking track is from the Sunshine Beach end; Stroll North along the beach, a quick hike up a few steps, around a bluff and you are onto the Southern end of Alexandra Bay (A Bay). A popular nudie beach but beautiful none the less. Be sure to keep your attention shifting or risk looking like a derdy pervy, when really you're probably just a little disturbed. We did not go right down to the beach on this morning but from a distance, unless it was 'wear your beige bathers Wednesday', there were definitely a couple of happy go lucky naturists with their goods, or bads, on display.

A Humpback Whale thankfully diverted our attention to the ocean as it made its way North, leaving behind a foot print in the water suggesting its immense size. Topping off the mornings entertainment was a large pod of Dolphins drifting about in the currents not to far off shore. It was a morning show of splendid variety.

Edinburgh

2009-06-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

Aye, Edinburgh, aye. A woonderful wee toown with more historical sights than you can shake a kilt at and dodgy bagpipe rock music blasting from tacky Scottish tourist stores located all over toown.

Reece was kind enough to lend us his room for a couple of nights in downtoown Edinburgh. Following the adventures of Lagos, Anna and I were both fairly exhausted but managed to find enough energy to wander the town aimlessly gazing at the numerous historical landmarks from various era's. Obviously, I did not read many plaques or involve myself too heavily in the exact details of these buildings and structures, to simply look and wonder was enough for me.

The sun shone every day we were there, what did Neil say? "Everywhere you go, all ways take the weather with you.” Well, we did. Scottish people were getting their shirts off en masse; sun bathing in the park was the newest craze sweeping Edinburgh. The pale transparency of the Scotsmen’s skin meant you could almost make out the internal organs of each shirtless braveheart as they strolled through the park. A great training tool for 1st year medicine students I reckon. Girls were lying around in their bras without a care in the world, what is the use of a bikini when you get four days of sunshine a year? Aye aye. My favourite Edinburgh sunshine fad was the 1 use BBQ's that numbered in their 100's. They basically consist of a bucket of coal and grille. It was like being in a refugee camp with smoke billowing across the length of the meadows.

The Scotts love to deep fry everything but we made a point of staying clear of this delicacy, except for deep fried ice cream one night for dessert. But we did get a serving of chips (crisps for those UK viewers) with almost every meal, whether that be a gourmet sandwich or soup of the day, the Scotts obviously believe any meal can benefit from sensory and aesthetic value a handful of chips brings to a plate.

Edinburgh is very picturesque and I will post some photos in and wee short while, ayerrgh.

Lagos

2009-05-29T03:48:00.001-07:00

So Pruddy

Amanda and Ella

Anna being all clever and stuff

Lagos is fantastic! A small town with a big drinking problem and lots of fun. We meet up with Ella who had kindly offered to put us up for a couple of nights while we settled in. She took us under her wing and ferried us from bar to bar. We were very lucky to experience the town with someone who had taken time to get to know the geography and personalities of the area already.

Temperatures were warm when we arrived so windows were left open for sleeping, well for the first night anyway. After spending 20 minutes swatting away at a Japanese Kamikaze mosquito who was relentless in his pursuit of happiness we decided to turn the light on and exterminate the little blighter. As blackness become blurriness before finally becoming clarity it became apparent, to our horror, that it was not one buzzing mosquito but at least twenty. All lined up and the foot of the bed waiting for their turn at the Anna and John buffet. I have never seen such a concentration of mosquito’s in my life and what followed can only be described as a blood bath. We were jumping about like a couple of Olympic trampolinists striving to get the elusive ones taking cover on the ceiling. Little red spots appeared with each slash of our rolled up magazines, quite gross really but amusing at the time.

We dined out often as it was so cheap. The best meal was by far a local Portuguese restaurant we had been recommended. The produce was super fresh and prepared simply and elegantly, my fish arrived barbequed, seasoned and with tail and head still firmly attached with eyes gazing wonderingly at its maker.

We truly loved our time in Lagos, we swam, explored, sun bathed and drunk beer for 10 days and truly relaxed. It is a shame it did not quite feel like the right place to be for the whole summer. I'm sure our livers will thank us for getting out of there when we did. Just in the nick of time I reckon.

lisbon

2009-05-16T14:34:00.001-07:00

John and a wall in Sintra

Church in Sintra

Boomera...! in Portu...! Aren't those... What the!

Sintra

IAN! Check it out, Wicked old Vespa. They were everywhere. I was so chuffed with this one I had to get a photo.

Lots of monuments in Lisbon, lots...

View from the most expensive lift in the world (not a fact but quite pricey).

Lisbon is an ancient, stone and tile clad city with a good vibe to it. It’s busy, clean and home to a young urban crowd of fashion conscious people. Maybe a little too conscious at times. We stayed in the old town right on a restaurant strip where I would sit on the balcony for hours and watch waiters harassing passersby to eat at their restaurant.

Our day trip to Sintra was the highlight, this is a beautiful old town in the hills outside of Lisbon. We spent the day walking in the hills, drinking coffee and snapping photos. Not being natural city dwellers, two days in Lisbon was enough but it is a city worth a look.

Split

2009-05-16T14:23:00.001-07:00

Split Town

Split Town and Us

Seeing people on their way to real jobs and living real lives was quite a novelty for us in Split, however there are of course masses of tourists about. Architecturally Split is quite spectacular, ancient walls and churches are everywhere. It does lack a natural feel though as it is full of concrete, even at the beaches.

Europe is full of buildings, squares and monuments dating back thousands of years, the history of it all can be quite over whelming at times. So many plaques to read, stories to understand and photos to take. There were times when Anna and I had to step back and just appreciate it all for what it is and not try to understand the who, why, whats and hows.

One last thing worth mentioning about Split, for the wrong reasons, was our trip to Split Zoo. We stumbled across this Zoo by accident and discovered admittance was only 10 kuna (1 pound fifty). With no reason not to have a look around we ventured into a very disturbing arena for animal cruelty. The animal enclosures were completely inadequate and the animals themselves seemed to have long since been driven to insanity as a consequence of this. Tigers, beers and wolves were displayed alongside hamsters, chickens and rabbits. It was the most bizarre array of wildlife imaginable.

In a search for answers Anna and I researched this zoo and found that various organisations have been trying to shut it down since 2001. Somehow it is still operating and is a very sad sight.

Hvar Island

2009-05-14T15:49:00.001-07:00

View from a castle on a hill

Looking out at Dinner

Said castle on the hill

Hvar was Quite special, turns out we too are quite special. Anna and I got our dates and flight times mixed up and left Hvar a day earlier than we needed to. It was a bit of shame as Hvar was a beautiful island with amazing swimming and a cool vibe. With glasses half full Anna and I were thankful we left a day early and not a day late.

Two days was enough time to see everything we wanted to on the island as it is not huge but you can't get enough sitting on the beach, swim, sit, another swim, coffee, sit, maybe another swim, no I'll just sit... For just relaxing, which is what we were looking for, this island was perfect. Just enough going on but not too busy.

Korcula

2009-05-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Old Town of Korcula Kung Fu Panda?

Pronounced Kor-chula, this island is like a mini Dubrovnik. We managed to find a great hostel where we relaxed, reassessed logistics and re-gathered our thoughts for the second half of the trip. As it is still low season transport throughout the islands can be quite random so a bit of pre-planning has been required, much to Anna's delight. The mere mention of organising sends Anna scampering off for a pen and paper so we can start a list. Which reminds me...'do another blog' can be crossed off.

We were given a lift by the hostel owner to a couple of bays off the beaten track which proved to be a very worth while journey. We practically had the beach to ourselves all day, with the exception of a couple of locals and a topless sunbather.

The water is still a little chilly but crystal clear and with the kiwi reputation to uphold Anna and I have not let a little brrr get in the way of ticking off swimming in the Adriatic on numerous occasions.

Dubrovnik

2009-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

A boat sails off into the distance

A few beers on the Adriatic, thank you.

On the wall

We landed in Dubrovnik at 8pm after leaving our sleepy little French village at 8am that morning. It was a long journey made longer by the long night we'd had prior, we had a reason to be out and you guessed it, it's a long story. If we had any sense we would have been tucked up in bed at 8:30pm ready for a big day travelling, since we don't have any sense we spent most of the night singing and dancing to our favourite Argentiere band in our favourite Argentiere Bar. A group lead enthusiastically by Anna raised 1200 Euros for Breast Cancer Research in two nights. The hook was that Dave, The Office owner and possessor of a seriously long and dirty ponytail for at least the last 15 years, was to shave his head. The event was aptly named...Shave the Dave...and went off awesomely. The perfect way to finish our time in Argentiere and say good bye to some great friends.

Dubrovnik is every bit as beautiful as people say it is. We managed to meet up with a couple of Aussies who became our best friends for a day. We explored the outskirts of the city, walked the wall, ate seafood and drank beer right on the seaside all in splendid sunlight and with company of great value. From here we head up the via the islands of Korcula and Hvar.

Geneva

2009-04-11T03:14:00.001-07:00

I had a long wait in Geneva on a sunny Sunday afternoon so decided to go for a quick Captain Cook, a look, around the Swiss city.

Geneva is quite small and quite boring. The city's main tourist attraction is the lake and more specifically a water spout that shoots high into the air from the lake. It does go quite high and I guess it is more spectacular than the Big Pineapple but it is a strange thing to spend time and money on. I would love to know the thought process behind the creators of such a strange idea.

The old town was the highlight for me, I can't get enough of old European buildings. The shopping district was not nearly as impressive. Although, in almost every shop you could purchase chocolate, a watch or a Swiss army knife that I'm sure, with some subtle manipulation, could become a watch or chocolate.

Week twelve...or is it thirteen?

2009-03-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

Sara and Gail in Old Argentiere

Firstly I must apologise for the tardiness of my entries of late but chalet life can be demanding. The last three weeks have been a blur of work, ski, sleep and Greys Anatomy seasons 1 & 2. The winter season is rapidly coming to an end and I don't even know what day it is.

Gail and Sara stopped by for 5 days while on their holiday through Europe. The two would attest to things getting off to a great start as they swooned over the handsome Irish lad who escorted them from the airport to us in Argentiere. Anna and I managed our work load to allow time to be spent catching up on the past 18 months which was great. Their time here was packed with activities; Gail and Sara were in Switzerland one day, Italy the next then they said goodbye and caught a train to Paris for lunch, very nice. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and will look back on those few days very fondly.

The winter snow is subsiding at an alarming rate, temperatures are consistently into the positives and snow no longer greets us at our doorway. While it is refreshing to have a change in season, the arrival of spring does bring with it a new set of obstacles. I will explain; the retreating snow has begun to reveal items previously concealed under layers of ice and snow, of particular interest to pedestrians are the numerous (and remarkably well preserved) doggy poops that litter the walking paths. You`d think you were back stage at the Crufts dog show as you are forced to play hop scotch along our local walking paths, all while cursing dog food for being so high in fibre.

With travel plans made for our next destination it is hard not to wish this time away in our eagerness for new adventures. However, we will enjoy the spring skiing conditions which lend themselves so well to long lunches in the sun and good après ski, we may even throw in a good old barbeque or two during the next month...I will keep you posted.

Week Eleven

2009-03-16T02:35:00.000-07:00

A group of twelve colleagues from a recruitment company joined us for the weekend. They were a lovely group of great people. We really enjoyed their company. Anna more so, I spent most of the weekend feeling very 'tired' after enjoying the band on Friday night...excessively .

Anna kindly worked for me on Saturday night as I was still very ‘tired’, which means I am currently in her pocket, awaiting sentencing. I am hoping that my guilty plea (and a promise of waffles) will encourage leniency.

Sunday was spent watching England play France in the 6 Nations, admittedly, not an enthralling prospect for most New Zealanders. I was supporting the ref, Stuart Dickenson. Man of the match was probably Ricky Flutey; good kiwi lad and a familiar name to anyone who has ever supported Wellington Rugby.

At risk of boring you with talk about the weather, it is notable at the moment. Spring is approaching rapidly. A balmy 12-14 degrees was reached the other day and I wore shorts! It was difficult to distinguish my legs from the surrounding snow but they would argue it has been 5 months since they last saw sun.

Week Ten

2009-03-05T01:53:00.000-08:00

Good riddance! Two groups of guests from a prestigious club in London graced us with their presence this week. 'Graced' is perhaps not the correct word, inflicted is more how it felt.The personalities ranged from self proclaimed 'serial entrepreneurs' to wives who had forgotten how to look after themselves after years of paying someone to do it for them. Again, being the consummate professionals we topped up wine glasses on demand (to half empty of course), consoled those saddened by the fact it was 'actually snowing...on a ski holiday...how inconvenient' and engaged in mind numbing conversation which was actually more like listening to a series of soliloquies. All while venting our frustrations to poor Richard, Aiofe (our flatmate) and anyone else who would listen.
We have had 3 days off to recover and managed to do some amazing skiing as the snow continues to fall thick and fast. The winter season is turning into one of the best in 10 years and we are glad to be here to enjoy it with the locals.

Week Nine

2009-03-04T03:40:00.001-08:00

We rode a Gondola up to 2500m where the views over the valley were pretty spectacular (yes, we actually remembered our camera).

Anna and I have had week nine off due to self catered guests. What else to do in Chamonix with a free week but ski your little bum off, so we did. The highlights were a magnificent day at 'Brevent' and seeing an extreme outdoor event at 'Les Grand Montets'. The event showcased a group of crazies skiing off cliffs and paragliding or wing suiting from a helicopter. World famous extremists descend on Chamonix from far and wide for this event, all overloading heavily on adrenaline, meanwhile I was happy to spend the week overloading on cheese. At the rate I am going I'll have a naturally forming wing suit of my own, very extreme.

Madness, their mums must be worried.

Eating well...no need for my mum to worry.

Week Eight – Mike and Olivia

2009-02-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

Fromage!!

We met the two excited travelers at Geneva Airport before whisking them back to our apartment via the local rental store, ‘Hurycana,’ where Thierry fitted them with skis and boots. It was so nice and refreshing to see familiar faces and catch up on the last 18 months.

On day one we skied at Le Tour and we were very impressed at how quickly Mike and Liv gained their ski legs. The evening was spent reminiscing, eating pizza, drinking beer, and celebrating Anna’s birthday.

We awoke to a white out on day two and decided to stay low and cross-country ski amongst the many tracks that amble through the trees in the valley, known locally as ‘ski de fond.’ Everyone had a great day and a tough work out, which we would all pay for with an assortment of muscle soreness later in the week.

Day three was epic, 30-40cms of fresh snow overnight and a bright blue sky at Les Grand Montet equated to a memorable days skiing. Anna and I were able to lead Mike and Liv into some very challenging ‘off-piste’ (un-groomed) runs. We were pleasantly surprised at Livs mastery of the backwards snowplough and Mikes ability to discard various items from his backpack during each tumble. We were stoked however to see them ski really well on runs which were very challenging for anyone, let alone having not skied for three years.

Day four saw a trip to Chamonix where the girls shopped and the boys feigned interest as best they could.

The sun came out on Day five and we all skied like demons at Flagere, thanks to fresh legs and perfect visibility only one fall was witnessed all day, even that was not our fault; an Irishman, who was sharing a chairlift with Anna and I, attempted to pole vault himself off the chairlift using Anna’s ski boot for traction. This led to an impromptu game of twister on the exit ramp, our flexibility did not impress the French Lift operator at all as he had to stop everything and help us from our compromising positions. Right leg, black and blue.

The next day we all said ‘au reviour’ as Mike and Liv boarded a train to Lyon, continuing their adventure. It was such a treat to have them to stay.

Week Seven

2009-02-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

Je suis tres fatigue! Anna and I longed to see the end of week seven for two reasons; one, the arrival of Liv and Mike, and two, the arrival of much needed time off. Anna could barely contain herself at the prospect being re-united with her sister, I was constantly reminding her to go to the toilet as she was forgetting with all the excitement.

The second week of corporate clients was much the same as the first. New names, new faces, same attitudes, same expectations.

I spent a day snowboarding on Monday which only served to strengthen my passion for my new found love of skiing. We have had regular snow for the past 2 weeks creating superb conditions. I too can barely contain myself a th prospect of visitors so will keep this brief.

Week Six

2009-02-09T02:06:00.002-08:00

Beautiful Courmayeur, the Italian food and service was definately a highlight.

My week began with an 8 hour wait at Geneva Airport due to heavy delays. Thankfully Nadal Vs Federer was on every available T.V screen. No prizes for guessing who the crowd favourite was. OOLA’s!! quickly became oh-la-la’s with Federer’s demise in the 5th set.

This was the first week of hosting corporate holiday makers. In theory this means a Company utilises our services to treat their clients to a few days skiing and socialising in an attempt to strengthen their business relationship. In practice, client representatives are treated to a very boozy ski holiday fully paid for under the guise of ‘work’. Everyone comes armed with a company credit card, and they are not afraid to use them. Not being ones to miss an opportunity, Anna and I constantly made ourselves available for free food and drinks.

The most commonly quoted phrase during the week was certainly ‘tough day at the office.’ The most amusing however was delivered by our very French guide to one of our guests. Nick was stranded on a very steep face while skiing so he called down to the guide ‘hey Steph, how do I get down from here?’ Steph replied as seriously as if he were a doctor explaining symptoms to a patient; ‘You joost use gravitee.’ Oh, if Nick had known it was that easy he wouldn't have bothered asking.

My week has ended as an exhausted little chalet host, late nights and early starts have taken their toll. Those corporate lads certainly know how to have a good time with company time and money. We are glad to have been there to enjoy it with them.

Week Five - Vallee Blanche

2009-01-31T04:00:00.001-08:00

This week was generally uneventful with the exception of skiing the Vallee Blanche. Lets just say our guests were not really 'newsworthy'.

Anna and I were lucky enough to be invited to join friend’s Ossi, Simon and Abby to ski a guided tour through the ‘Vallee Blanche’. This may not mean anything to you so I will attempt to make things clearer with a brief description of our day;

At 10am we rode a cable car to the 'Aguille du Midi'. At 3880m the panoramic views from here were awe inspiring. At 11am things began to get really interesting; we all strapped our skis to our backs and were harnessed together with our guide, Pete, acting as anchor. Our task was to then navigate a narrow ridge called the 'Arrett' which translates ironically to 'Stop'. With the Arrett safely negotiated we then skied the longest run in Europe; a distance of 22kms and 2880m of vertical descent. When skiing the Vallee Blanche you are on a glacier, this means there are crevasses which must be avoided, thus a guide is crucial for scouting a safe route through the hazardous maze.

We were under the capable guidance of Pete, who incidentally is only the second American to obtain his French mountain guiding licence. It is a natural human response to place the person responsible for your life on a lofty pedestal, we were no exception. It is very rare these days that I don’t start a sentence with ‘how about when Pete...’, ‘Pete said...’ or ‘what do you think Pete would do if...’ We finished the day with some ‘backyard skiing’ down to a bar in Chamonix for a well deserved beer. The girls discussed weddings, engagements and the like while the boys doted over Pete and his tales of adventure.

It was certainly a day to remember. Exhausted and Humbled I slept as deeply as I can remember.

Crossing the Arrett

The view back towards the Aguille du Midi gondola station. Pete in the background, ever the professional completing final preparations.

Anna and Pete. He just looks like someone you would trust with your life. Yes, I do have a little man-crush on Pete but I am only human.

Abby, in front of a well farmed face.
Abby, Simon, Ossi, moi and Pete.

The view towards our final descent into Chamonix

Voila, an amazing day.

Week Four

2009-01-26T01:37:00.000-08:00

Anna and I are really in the swing of things now, the ship is sailing smoothly you might say. Free time is expanding at an exponential rate as we become increasingly efficient with our daily chores. More free time means more ski time and we are improving with every turn. We received about 2 meters of fresh snow over the week, creating some of the best conditions yet.

Our guests were as lovely as ever. Without wishing to devalue to quality of our previous guests, I think this week’s group were the best yet. We really enjoyed their company and hours spent working were really hours spent socialising with our new friends. I took a couple of the guys skiing at Les Grand Montets on my day off and showed them around the mountain, to which they kindly expressed their appreciation in amber currency during a spot of après ski. We now accept credit card, cash or beer.

The group were all of different skiing abilities ranging from ‘I can NOT do it’ to ‘I can’t stand watching you NOT do it anymore’. So, a note to any prospective ski holiday makers; if the group have varying levels of ability, don’t try to ski together. Arrange to meet during the day for sure but don’t think you are doing any favours by skiing beside your rookie friend yelling ‘bend your knees’ or ‘that’s ok, up you get’.

The most amusing story of the week, one that had Anna and I in stitches, was hearing about one of our four year old boys forgetting to let go of the rope on a drag lift. He held on so tight that he was lifted 2 meters off the ground before responding to his Dads pleas of ‘LET GO!’ and crashing into protective mats.

Janurary 21, 2009

2009-01-22T01:44:00.000-08:00

First two turns went ok, missed one and it all went down hill from there, literally! (sorry, can't figure out how to turn the video so it requires a titled head to view). The only bruises sustained were to my ego.

Anna skiing really well at Les Grand Montets.

We got about 50 cms of snow overnight and awoke to a clear day. This meant for one of our best days on the mountain. We had plenty of tumbles and laughs in the deep snow, learning to ski in powder is one of the most enjoyable experiences we have had on our travels to date.

Week Three

2009-01-19T01:32:00.000-08:00

Week 3 saw a bustling bunch of Belgians swarm our little chalet. Initial confusion was not limited to remembering and applying the names of 12 Belgian lookalikes. Naming guests is normally a tough task, especially on day 1, but it was even more so this week due to the fact that they have names with sounds my brain, mouth and tongue collectively cannot achieve. As I mentioned earlier, oral dyslexia was not the only issue causing uncertainty; 6 double beds, 10 blokes and 2 girls. After doing the math this little quandary caused quite a stir amongst our trio of hosts. Belgian sleeping habits obviously tend towards laissez-faire as it was later revealed they are all married with children but didn’t mind sharing a bed with a buddy.

I admit that I did not know a lot, well nothing really, about Belgium. Ever the professional, I thought I’d do some research. So here are some facts about Belgium you may not have known;

1) In 1885 Belgium’s King, Leopold 2nd, bought Congo and ran it into the ground. Not just to a point where the exterior needed a sand and paint, it is estimated that in his search for rubber, ivory and world domination 10 million people died needlessly in 23 years. Mostly due to horrendous living conditions. In 1908 the Belgian State took Congo off the King, gave him a slap on the wrist and sent him to the naughty corner.

2) Eddy Merckx, 5 time Tour de France winner and possibly the best cyclist ever is Belgian.

3) You say Belgians not Beligiums when referring to a group of Belgians.

4) Euthanasia and gay marriage are legal in Beligium.

5) There is a linguistic divide that carries both culturally and politically between Belgium’s Flemish people and the French speaking Walloon community. A lot of Belgians consider themselves Flemish or Walloon before Belgian.

6) Belgians on average dine out more than every other nation in the world. And a ‘fact’ I wish to add, they are also the fastest eaters in the world.

Our Belgians loved a drink, thrived on it and practically drunk us dry each night. We spent a couple of evenings hold up in a bar of their choice enjoying après ski drinks, songs, dancing and more drinks with them, an interesting experience to say the least. It is amazing to witness how music is such a global phenomenon. All the words to songs by The Beatles, The Police and U2 were accurately sung at full volume by our Belgian Baritones. Then you try to ask them how they would like their eggs in the morning and all you get is a blank look of utter confusion. Maybe if The Beatles had of written a song about eggs in the morning we would have had more success.

One last, but very important fact is that Beligium have about 350 varieties of beer. With invitations offered by our guests coupled with this fact Belgium is now very high on the travel list for summer.

Week Two

2009-01-07T00:50:00.000-08:00

It was hard to get up for this week, I like to use a sporting analogy; 'well, ahhh, obviously we gave it our all last week and perhaps were a bit flat this week, the boys gave it everything aye but just didn't have enough fuel in the tank. Cheers.'

You may also compare it to parenting where the second child never quite gets the same attention as the first (with the exception of my family where the middle child was lavished with love and attention equal to that of his siblings.) In short, we did not feel the same affection towards week two's punters. However, being the consummate professionals we are, Anna and I ensured everyone was well fed, laughed alot and had an enjoyable experience.

The whole week can be summed up with this little story: Anna and one of the guests were waiting in a slow moving line to amend a lift pass when Anna quipped, 'Gee, it's like waiting at a bank. They have the worst customer service.' To which the Guest dryly replied
'I work in a bank.' Great! talk about building rapport.

By the end of the week and we had all warmed to each other. Friendly banter was fired back and forth and Anna and I even had the guests going out to the balcony to fetch us a beer. We were also offered hospitality if we ever passed through their home towns.

Again, a pleasurable experience and we were treated to polite, thankful guests.

I'm off for a ski, Au reviour.

Chalet hosting - Week one

2009-01-06T01:21:00.000-08:00

Cheeky Vino on Christmas Day, Choice!

The best thing about working in hospitality is that you deal with people who are enjoying themselves, the worst thing, when they don’t. To date we have been lucky enough to have wonderful clients, granted is only week one. I will attempt to keep a running log of each week as they pass, this way Anna and I can look back on the blur that is chalet hosting and you can enjoy the quirky goings on in the lives of a couple of Chalet Hosts.

Week 1

Not an ideal start; pulling out of Geneva airport, 100 kms from Chamonix, with a van full of weary travellers the petrol light suddenly begins to glow suggestively. Shit! I knew I forgot something. It is very late on a Saturday night and no petrol stations are open so what’s a man to do but cross his fingers and pin all his hopes on the economy of the vans diesel engine. 52 kms to go and the light shines persistently, I’m sure it’s smirking at me. 14 km’s to go, no sign of running out of gas and all the humiliation that would come with having to ask the guest’s to politely ‘get out and push’. I have been going 90 the whole way and keeping revs below 2000, thanks Dad for that old trick. After what seemed like an eternity we finally made it Safely home! My god, a genuine miracle.

Week 1 consists of 6 Adults and 7 children. It quickly becomes obvious that while one might be little, one can be very hard work, and that there is always one. No, honestly the children were immaculately behaved; pleasant, polite, inquisitive and chatty. So were the adults now I think about it. Funny that.

Among the day to day dramas of misplaced gloves, helmets and ski poles three events in particular ensured a lively week. Firstly two guests became lost ‘off piste’ (back-country) at Le Tour, second was having a guest slip on ice and crack a rib, last but not least two batches of cookies disintegrated in the oven one morning. Not to worry, all crises were averted; Anna, ski patrol and I facilitated a mountain rescue for about 4 hours while the missing persons were escorted out of the woods in chest high snow, vin chaud (mulled wine) was topped up regularly and on request for our incapacitated ice victim and the botched biscuits were rescued with a last minute yoghurt cake. In retrospect a successful week.

Christmas day 2008

2008-12-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

The day began at a mellow pace for both Anna and I. Opening presents, Breakfast and Skiing were first priorities, in that order. Christmas dinner consisted of a four course gastric master-class produced and presented by the two of us, for the two of us. Duck breast, local cheese’s and wine ensured there was a French influence while three episodes straight of ‘Outrageous Fortune’ meant we still used phrases like ‘far out, this is choice’ and ‘cher bro, really wucked aye’ to describe what we were eating. In the evening we visited friends for a few festive beverages and phoned home to speak with our families.
All in all a very enjoyable Christmas Day, however this time of the year does evoke emotions of home sickness and a longing to sit around with family enjoying conversation at a level of understanding only possible with those who share your blood. Isn’t it funny how we always want what we don’t have.

No gloves, Anna you toughy-an.

The snowshoeing team doing a Centipede impersonation.

Snowshoeing, Phil the guide out in front over a pretty hairy bridge.

Joyeux Noel to all

Two sleeps till Christmas

2008-12-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

Artsy fartsy.

I have formed a love hate relationship with snow! and the Van!

Our first snowman, with un baguette et un John (one baguette and one John)

Anna and I are like a couple of kids before Christmas at the moment. Without wishing to bore you with talk about the weather; after some serious snowing the skies have been big, bright and blue over the past few days and we have skied till our legs will no longer let us. We are not required to host guests until the 27th which means our goggle tans are coming along nicely, we are now a couple of kiwis disguised as racoons.

We also went for a 5 hour snow shoe up to an Alpine Village, the visibility was horrendous as about 30cms of snow fell that day but the walk was very rewarding, and a little knackering. There was no wind and all sound was softened by the falling snow making for a pretty special experience. A cup of vin chaud (hot wine) warmed us up before a well earned descent.

Aside from these outdoor winter activities all is fairly normal. Our flatmate, Rob, moved in the other day. He is your stereotypical Chamonix hard-out and super nice. Today he went skiing into Switzerland via some notoriously dangerous back country, a little cavalier for Anna and I just yet.

Our little village is really starting to look more and more like a ski village, Christmas lights and tourists line the streets and ‘Après ski specials’ are on every sandwich board.

Joyeux Noel to you all

Now I know why we're in Chamonix

2008-12-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

Anna and I have both cross country and downhill skied since we last spoke. We cross country skied in the classique style which basically entails lunging over and over wearing skinny skis and toe clip bindings. Great fun and a wicked work out. My bum and thighs feel firmer already. We had an awesome day downhill skiing at Les Grand Montet on Saturday. We have had an incredible amount of snow in the past week, our morning ritual has been to dig out the van and scrape the 20 cms of snow off it. The powder on the mountain was light and deep but a little tracked out. The locals here ski hard and it does not take long before lines are snaking their way down every skiable face. I have given in to temptation and donned a skiers cap for the winter. My goal is to catch up with Anna, sometimes literally, as she is a season ahead of me on skis.

Richard`s jobs seem to be getting more and more obscure; A few construction items were stolen from a work site he is involved with so the next night I was promoted to head of security operations. This basically involved sleeping on site, at a location I cannot disclose for security purposes, and doing god knows what if anyone actually did turn up to steal anything. Thankfully the night was uneventful and spending and hour and a half at a wine tasting evening just prior allowed me a fairly deep sleep. That morning I was packing up my sleeping bag when the tradies arrived, I quickly turned from staunch security guard to, what must have seemed to them, a hobo enjoying some shelter from the cold as I could not explain in my terrible French why I was there.

Anna is recovering well after her wee tumble down the stairs in our apartment, her black bruises are fading to yellow. Thankfully nothing was broken and she now approaches the stairs with the caution of someone in their 80`s.

We have been welcomed with open arms and seemingly endless shots of Jagermeister by the ‘locals.’ We are chuffed at being included in rounds of shots shouted for the locals by Dave, the peoples barman. With every new person we meet there is the obligatory introduction to their dog, who is usually playing rough and tumble with another dog in the bar, at the owners feet or sniffing someone’s crotch as they try to enjoy a pint. All the intricacies of the pooches breed, personality and toiletry habits are unashamedly exposed by their doting owner to practical strangers. It is great to put names to the faces we have been walking past and ‘Bon jouring’ for the past month, the funny thing is they are all English which makes our spirited ‘Bon jour’s’ seem a little off the mark.

Argentiere to Martingy

2008-11-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Snow tyres were crucial

Anna and I were lucky enough to take the Mont-Blanc Express train to Martigny in Switzerland. Swiss engineering at its finest is on show as you wind through mountainous terrain. The purpose of the trip was to pick up the work van from the mechanics and drive it back. We are taking advantage of every opportunity to explore the area. Richard is constantly amazing us with a wide variety of errands to run, all of which we are eager to complete. We're like a couple of loyal Spaniels whose highlight of the day is fetching the paper for our owner, which is fine with me if the journey involves an hours train ride through the Alps.

Speaking of which, It is time to move furniture into the Chalet.

One of the many villages along the journey

Annecy

2008-11-21T06:46:00.001-08:00

Darwinism at its most obscure. This is my favourite photo from Annecy, there is nothing quite like a swans bum looking like a buoy for a good giggle.

Cheese!

What can I say...Annecy

Strolling the streets

Cards and scrabble were put on hold for the day and Anna and I drove an hour to Annecy. It was a perfect day trip for a couple of kiwis with nothing better to do. Being Autumn it was a little brisk and the streets were very quiet but it is a great little town.

Annecy is a stereotypical French town. Very quaint and very pastel, the old part of the town is something quite special. You really feel you have landed right in the heart of French civilisation. It is no surprise the Tour de France have chosen this little town to host a time trial stage in the 2009 race.

Back in Chamonix it has snowed about 30 cm`s in 24 hours. Winter is well and truly upon us and Chamonix has transformed into a winter wonderland overnight.

Au revoir England, Bon jour Chamonix

2008-11-18T03:05:00.000-08:00

oot and aboot in Chamonix

Confit Duck on a bed of potato Daphinious accompanied by green beans. All moistened with a Cranberry jus. Huh haw haw, bon apetit

Looking down on our lounge

No, I have not had a growth spurt. Our room was designed for dwarves and midgets.

We have arrived in Chamonix where we will once again spend a winter book ended by snowy mountains. Following our 1 week cooking course Anna and I now approach cooking with even more enthusiasm. Flavour and texture experimentation is now a necessity at every meal. It is a shame enthusiasm alone does not always produce fine cuisine.

We have been keeping busy with a few odd jobs, socialising with the locals, hiking and mountain biking. Richard and Veronica, our employers, have been amazing to us. They have leant us bikes, accommodated us and have hooked us up with random work, i.e driving someone to Geneva Airport. Our apartment has no television and after the initial shock of 'what! No T.V!' It is actually quite good. Anna has thrown herself into meticulously, with pinky fingers at right angles, arranging our holiday photo's.

Naturally, we have found a local pub to occupy our thirst for socialisation. Dave, an Aussie from Melbourne owns the place and is a classic true blue occa. His French is obviously 100 times better than ours but still carries that oh so familiar Aussie twang; ‘jemma peel Dawve, How ya gowin?’ Anna has scored most improved player in spoken French. I am still restricted to pointing and pleading ‘Baguette?’, while Anna races into the Patisserie and comes trundling out with un baguette and Deux Croissants! The way my French is going it looks as though I will be buying my items one at a time for a wee while yet. Really though, you do not need to speak French as most speak English. To us it seems polite to, at the very least, attempt to speak the language of the country you are in. So I will continue to butcher the language of love and stutter on, making a complete cuiller of myself along the way. (I know ‘culiler’ means spoon and it’s feminine, so not really used in the right context...but... our phrase book does not translate fool and this was the closest I could find, I am trying).

It has started really snowing today but the locals say it will not last and winter is not upon us just yet. We are thankful for every sunny day at the moment as there is so much to see and do around here.

Worcester

2008-11-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

We spent a weekend in Worcester for one final hurrah amongst our ex-pat friends before legging it to Chamonix. I can't say I'm a fan of their sauce but the town itself is really cool. Accomodation was provided by Anna's friend Kelly and her partner Marc, It was a really nice apartment and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

One of the highlights of our English experience so far has been the wonderful array of old pubs. Heroes in Worcester now rates as one of my favourites. It may sound like a transexual milk bar but it's really old and traditional. It is quite special to be amongst the history of sagging wooden beams, thatched roofs and solid oak leaners while drinking a pint, and quite a fire hazard come to think of it.

We are in Chamonix now having some down time after cooking (and eating) some culinary delights, most of which revolve around rich cheeses. Simon, our chef, is classic and seems to know what he's talking about. We will keep you informed on our progress.

Bon apetit

Hoo Roo Tawwnton

2008-10-28T08:49:00.001-07:00

Cool Banjo Man in Bath

Nicola and Anna in Taunton

Anna, Nicola and Keith in consultation about lunch in Bath

I just love the Somerset accent, it is spoken at the pace of an unmotivated three toed sloth but with the polite intonation of a prospective son in law meeting the parents. The South and South West of England continues to delight us with its quaint old buildings and wonderful hospitality.

If I'm honest, and I will be, Anna and I are hanging out to start working. It has been a little too long between drinks for us both. We (when I say we here I really mean Anna) have become so efficient at getting ready to leave for our next destination that I will often find my tooth brush pre-prepared with toothpaste awaiting my arrival from the shower. This way, not a moment of time is wasted and 'we' are never left idle waiting for one another.

We will not wish this time away however. It is great to catch up with friends and family.

Anna, Nicola, Keith and I drove up to Bath on Wednesday. With no disrespect, to look at Bath you would think it does not belong in England but on the European Continent. Lots of cool bars and restaurants line the Georgian styled lanes and Bath generally has a really funky feel to it.

Salut!

John says: Je suis un Neo Zealandais

2008-10-23T03:11:00.000-07:00

The White cliffs of Dover and John - Fast Ferry to Boulogne.

The White teeth of Anna and and an English coast line

Portobello Markets

Anna says "Je suis une Neo Zealandaise" otherwise known as; 'I am a New Zealander'. I am not 100% sure why we say it differently but this is a phrase Anna and I will make great use of in Chamonix as we try to distinguish ourselves from the English (who I'm told the French don't fancy much). Sara, Anna and I popped over to Boulogne for lunch on Tuesday. Yes, it was very pleasant, thank you. I ordered my salade in broken French but had to cheat alittle by pointing politely at my menu as I murmered and stuttered away.

Everyone should have the opportunity to go to another country where you cannot understand the language. It's great! It has a real sobering effect, and not just because you don't know how to order a beer. A shy, mute boy took over my body as I did not want anyone to talk to me, or god forbid ask me a question. Anna and I are now eager to learn French to a level of polite small talk and have bought a phrase book which will replace the London A-Z as our bible.

We are currently staying in Chichester with Richard, Anne and Matt Geffen. It is a rainy Sunday afternoon which re-confirms our decision to spend a winter in the snow. Next stop is Taunton to stay with Nicola and Keith.

We're going to Shamoneee!! Yee Haw!

2008-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Paddy and Reece at Lords, just soaking it all up.

Portobello Markets, avoid the weekends if you can.

Tower Bridge on a sunny London day!

St Pauls Cathedral on a not so sunny London day.

John 'proud as punch' to be at the home of cricket.

Anna and I landed a job in the French Alps in a little town called Chamonix. The role will consist of being at the beck and call of paying guests at our Chalet. We will be known as Chalet Hosts working for a small privately owned company.

So we will bid London farewell on the 5th of November as we set forth towards yet another winter in the snow. I think if you are going to endure a cold European winter you might as well do it on skis in the French Alps, grinning.

London has been good to us. Anna and I have been visiting London icons and attractions based on one pre-requisit only...it's free! Which actually does not limit you too much. We have visited

- The National Gallery and walked right passed 'Madonna on the Rocks' without realising,

- The Imperial War Museum,

- The British Museum,

- Trafalgar Square,

- Buckingham Palace changing of the guards.

- St Pauls Cathedral,

- The Tate Modern Art Museum,

- Parliment Hill,

- Portobello Markets

- Camden Markets

- London Tower (not free unless you know the right people) and

- Lords (not free and I didn't know the right people but was happy to pay because it was so cool).

So you can see we have been very busy becoming citizens of greater cultural awareness. There is always something going on in London and I can see why so many people love it. It is tough to resist the temptation of the great pub life where we have spent a bit of time becoming citizens of lesser spatial awareness. Probably the best thing about being here is the oppurtunity to catch up with old friends and family who we have not seen in years. We now have some time to kill before heading south so will do a little trip around the south west of Britain.

Au Revoir

Does anyone know the Pied Pipers number?

2008-10-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down below 'Viva Las Vegas' to read about New York adventures.

But never one to miss an oppurtunity, I will use this moment to try to take a snapshot of our lives at the minute:

We are dossing on a couch in Wandsworth. After much deliberation Anna and I have decided a European ski season working as Chalet Hosts sounds like a bit of us. A family of mice are covorting carelessly about in the kitchen we are sleeping adjacent to. After watching them for a good hour last night it is obvious they are harmless, however I still don't fell comfortable sleeping with my feet over the hanging over edge of the couch or with my mouth open.

We have job interviews on Monday and Tuesday and are enjoying the oppurtunity to experience the free museums and cultural hotspots available in London.

Take Care.

Viva Las Vegas

2008-10-01T03:42:00.000-07:00

This is Hotel Paris, we are inside but they have created it to feel like you are outside. Very bizzare place to be.

The strip, where it all happens.

Honing our skills in preparation for a night of gambling. It was more like donating the way I was playing and losing.

Driving through Death Valley, told you it was bare.

What an experience that was. Indescribable really. Vegas is definitely one of those see to believe experiences. The streets were dirty, people fat, temperature hot, atmosphere Seedy, lights bright but more so than anything else highly entertaining. We were entertained by a show called Le Reve, by the craps table, by the blackjack table, by the hotel pool, by the wonderful themed hotels and by the crazy people.

Anna and I celebrated like we’d taken the house when she had a $25 win on the slots but she then chose to retire on top. Excuses like ‘no I’m too nervous’, ‘I don’t feel like it’ and my favourite ‘I get just as much enjoyment out of watching you play’ became common amongst the blackjack table.

Our last supper with Matt and Mani was a Vegas style buffet containing cuisine from almost everywhere in the world, not good for an indecisive personality such as mine. I think I spent the first half an hour walking up and down the serving stations weighing the pros and cons of each style of food, it is all a bit of a blur. Anna’s disappointment at not being able to find ham sandwiches and milk was subdued by the assortment of Greek dishes.

Next stop, New York.

Yosemite footage - Courtesy of Matt Curran

2008-09-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

This was prior to our encounter: You have to love dumb, naive enthusiasm; we're going to fight the bears, yeah good one Matt.

Way too close! All local bears are tagged and monitored by the Park Ranger, hence the ear tag.

New York, New York

2008-09-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Statue of Liberty: Las Vegas. A great segue from our previous destination

You can not do New York justice in words. For anyone curious about this city I recommend to just go there. Anna and I have come away a little smitten with the Big Apple. There is a feeling of being simultaneously imporant and anonymous, like you are involved a movement towards something important, you just don't know what that is and what your role in this is.

For me memories of New York are framed by three distinct features; 1) Central Park, 2) Shopping with Anna for boots, 3) The `what movie is that scene from` syndrome?

1) Central Park is massive. What more can I say? Strawberry fields was a highlight, being a beatles fan it was warming to experience, while rooted in capalilst intention, New Yorkers appreciation for what John Lennon stood for. Sheep meadows was another area that resonated with us, we did not see any sheep though.

Funny looking sheep...please note, everyone is taking a photo of something these days.

Anna is funny, her favourite thing about central park is its symmetry.

2) We spent about 50 man hours trauling all of New Yorks downtown, midtown and uptown for the pefect pair of boots for Anna. Not too blingy, no big buckles, no identity crises, not too shiny...but classically styled black boots. Sounds easy, not quite. You'll be happy to know we found the perfect pair, not as happy as I was but a happy ending none the less. Honestly though, it was almost fun. If you want your man to shop enthusiastcally with you just give him an objective, I.E classic black boots. We need a target to work towards.

3) Icons like times Square (Men in Black) and the Central Park Zoo (Madagascar) are constant sources of de ja vu as you recognise them from Television or a film.

I think the USA is summed up perfectly in the words of John Jacob Raskob, the visionary behind the Empire State Building, when he asked "How high can we make it, so it won't fall down?'

God bless America and please vote for Obama in 2008!!! Bow with the Bow bridge in the back ground, just a coincidence. This is for you Laura, they wouldn't do layby so we didn't do any christmas shopping here. The average price of earings is about $50,000.00.

Yosemite

2008-09-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Not Yoz-e-might, but Yo-sam-it-tee. Don't be hard on yourself, it's a common mistake.

Knowing we were embarking on a wilderness adventure I promptly adopted my Uncle Ian’s ‘don’t shave on holiday’ philosophy and attempted to grow a beard, with little success. Yosemite offered some of the most incredible scenery we have experienced. For Anna and I this portion of the trip was largely unknown and carried no expectations. For me it was one of the highlights. I’ll tell you why:

Anna, Mani, Matt and I went for a 6 hour hike through the amazing terrain up to Nevada Falls. The first 30 minutes of walking was done on concrete paths which seemed to be very American and felt like we were walking in a zoo exhibit. For those that don’t know, Yosemite is bear country. Mani’s entire reason for going there was to see bears, Anna on the other hand spent the whole time trying not to think about the possibility. We reached the falls and Matt and I decided we would attempt the extra 4 ½ miles up to ‘Half Dome’ while Anna and Mani chose to head back down. Two miles from the top, sure enough, Matt and I saw a bear. Arrrrrrggh! All rational thought evaporated with the saliva in my mouth. There were a few other hikers around so I, selfless as always, figured my odds of survival were pretty good as long as they stayed between me and the bear. Wisely we did not panic, held our ground and did what any tourist worth their Lonely Planet Guide would do, start filming! It’s hard not to feel helpless as all you want to do is run but that is the worst thing you can do. So my method of defence was to stand still and look as boring and inedible as possible. I can assure you that the bear was not the only one to shit in the woods that day. It was a happy ending and no one was mauled so we turned around once it was safe and never did make it to the top but I`m sure the views are magnificent.

Once we got back to camp it was certainly beer O`clock, the pressures of the day had been all too much to bear. After barely sleeping due to a grizzling baby in the tent next door we left for Vegas early the next morning via Death Valley which, incidentally, is a very bare landscape.

Sorry, couldn`t help myself.

Bear for now

Shit! I know!

Mani the trooper out in front. Trying to avoid looking at the 600 steps in front of us.

Below: The Team - Mani, Matt, John and Anna.

San Francisco

2008-09-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

mmmmmmmm...

My Lance Armstrong impersonation.

"ahhhhhhhhh"

OBAMA 08

"When in Rome" - Matt trying to work his camera so he can do as the Romans and take a photo at the bottom of Lombard St.

Crooked Street, Crooked car.

Our hotel room wasn't quite what we expected.

We bumped into Matt and Mani in the foyer of our hotel late afternoon, hugged, caught up and went for Dim Sum in Chinatown.

Alcatraz was ticked off first. While line ups kept us hot and restless for hours at a time it was definately worth it. The highlight was a great audio tour around the cell block. We were then treated to a culinary delight...Clam chowder in a sour dough bread bun...Quintessential San Fran and yummy. Environmentally friendly too as you eat your bowl! We walked home via Lombard St where people go crazy for the crookedest street in the world.

Day 2 involved Haight Ashbury, the heart of hippydom and extroverted characters, no identity crisis here. Matt was offered Marijuana a couple of times while riding the bus. He was already tripping off the mushrooms and holandaise he ate with his eggs benny that morning so declined. We found 'Amoeba Records' and got lost amongst CD's for an hour and a half. Later we biked the Golden Gate bridge which was probably the highlight of San Fran for me, aside from the clam chowder!

To-fi-no

2008-09-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

After cursing our stupidity at forgetting the camera our recent trip to Vancouver Island to catch up with Simon and Zoe was an entirely positive experience.

Victoria, British Columbia's capital, is made up of a wonderful and very impressive array of, you guessed it, Victorian architecture. It is often referred to as a city of newly weds and nearly deads. Our friends Simon and Zoe have recently settled there and, not being ones to exclude themselves from anything, they have managed to fit themselves into both categories; Newly weds living in a retirement village! I don't know how they secured the apartment but they have and it's classic. Cribbage on Thursdays, housie Wednesdays and 19th Centry literature readings every Saturday night.

We got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30am on Saturday morning and drove the 4.5 hours to Tofino. With our priority being to surf as much as humanly possible, Simon and I hired surf boards, the thickest wetsuits possible, booties, hoods and roof racks while Anna and Zoe were treated to a day spa at the Wickannish Inn. We stayed in a great little backpackers called the Trek Inn. The manager was a great host and was actually a guest there 12 months ago, bought the place and hasn't left since. We met some very cool canucks and enjoyed the local hospitality. You might have determined a little too much if you'd seen us at 2am on the dock catching crabs, swinging off a winch and splashing around with phosphorescence.

We are back in Vancouver now staying with our friend Lee. Anna is packing her bags as though she were performing brain surgery, the intense looks of concentration and precision of placement is quite astounding. Discussion revolving around the advantages of rolling clothes as apposed to folding them or how jumpers and pants are great items to pack together are common place these days. I cannot help but giggle at her dedication to the task.

Anna's work threw a party for her last night. It was a fun night with a very eclectic group of people. If Anna’s Philipino colleagues have their way we will be married in the Philippines next year. We're not making any promises.

San Fran tomorrow, very cool. Very exciting.

We will get some photos from Simon and Zoe and post them, promise.

Bye for now

If you're interested:

2008-08-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

It started raining in Vancouver about a week ago, vancouver is definitely not as fun when wet. There is good news however, we are out-of-here, exit stage south, then east. For those of you that would like to know where we will be in the next three weeks, perhaps you can track our progress on Google Maps, here’s the itinerary:

Sept 5-7: Tofino baby; Surfing and relaxing with Simon and Zoe
Sept 10-14: San Francisco baby; Meeting Matt and Mani and going to act like tourists for a few days. Will be dusting off the matching white linen wear.
Sept 14-16: Driving to Vegas through Yosemite National Park with Matt & Mani, staying one night in the National park and continuing to Vegas…BABY.
Sept 16-19: Vegas Baby; Hope to get out to the Grand Canyon and see what all the fuss is about.
Sept 19-26: New York baby; we leave Matt and Mani and fly to New York where we will be staying in the upper west side of Manhattan Island.
Sept 26-?: London…baby.

Wish us luck.

I'm sure we will have plenty to report in the coming weeks. We'll keep you posted.

A Saturday of two halves

2008-07-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

This freak occurrence...occurred about a week ago. The meaning has now become obvious to us; Tea leaves have long been the chosen medium for psychics with a pension for hot drinks but it seems that Milo has finally become the ultimate after dinner beverage to ask 'what's my lucky colour?' 'will I ever find true happiness?' or 'who will win the footy on the weekend?'
Honestly, this was not planned, rehearsed or conceived until it just happened one night. A bit like the All Black backline.

We watched the All Blacks vs Straya at a local sports bar called 'Soho.' We were so excited about the game after an amazing aternoon kayaking that the loss was taken pretty hard. The only consoling factor was meeting a token Aussie bloke named...wait for it...Lee. How occa's that! If nothing else, the game was entertaining and we made sure the disappointing result didn't ruin the evening.

Anna, Rahana, Matt and I went Kayaking at Deep Cove on Saturday afternoon. This is Ra and I after we all beached near Jug Island. It was a really cool way to spend 3 hours, we saw Seals and Orcas swimming only feet away. Sorry, not Orcas, other Kayakers. Orcas would have been very cool though.

Standard John photo; hands on hips, sunnies on head, don't smile but don't look like your having a bad time either. I'm so predictable.

Matt; Rock climbing. You may notice how close the camera is to the rock to make it look steeper, it also reduces the signs of cellulite and makes his but look smaller as a bonus.

Festival of Light

2008-07-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

What a celebration it was! Team Canada's Godzilla themed fireworks display certainly did wow a our quartet of kiwi's and token Aussie couple. In true Anna and John fashion the camera was out of batteries, but don't despair, we have three more goes at it. USA show us their stuff on Saturday, China next Wednesday and The finale on Saturday Week.

For more info on the event visit: http://www.celebration-of-light.com/

Grouse mate

2008-07-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

GRRRRRRRRRR!

The sun is still shining and all is well. Anna, Rahana, Kyle, Matt and me bit the bullet on the weekend and climbed the aptly named 'Grouse Grind.' Matt scored high distinction with his time of 49 minutes while the rest of us came in at a comfortable 1 hour 20 minutes. The easiest way to descibe it is to lay out some facts:

Length: 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles)
Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)

Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)
Course Record: The unofficial record was set by a fellow Kiwi at a meandering 24:22, set by Jonathan Wyatt. It's only unofficial because it wasn't set during the annual organised race event.

The summit exposed itself as a land of real men, blokes strolled past with eagles on there arms, others were sawing great big logs of timber (not wood, timber) with only their bare hands and a hand saw. Then the ultimate in shear brute strength, a couple of grown grizzly brothers lived up there. They are amazingly strong animals, how ever big you think they are, times that by two.

Sunday was spent at our new regular, 'Subeez Cafe.' It has become a bit of a ritual for a group of us to meet there on Sunday morning, discuss the week that was and head off again to enjoy, what has been so far, a sunny sunday afternoon at the beach.

This weekend: Kayaking at Deep Cove. Love Vancouver.

I forgot, we hired a car and went to Whistler a couple of weekends ago. Whistler is a very cool little village. The mountain there must be amazing in the winter, the terrain is just so immense.

This is Ra, Matt and me doing something.

It's soo hot...

2008-06-30T21:11:00.001-07:00

It has been a scorcher this weekend, about 30 degrees. Canada is certainly the land of extreme weather. Anna has been hufing and puffing around in her bra trying to keep cool. We went down to Kitsilano beach on Sunday, threw a frisbie and kicked the footy about all afternoon. Simon and I even went for a swim in the sea, which was very brown and strangely lacking saltiness. We both had our 'I've just done a 6 month snow season' sun tans on so sunny's were a must. Don't worry mum, sunscreen was applied liberally and often.
It is Canada day tomorrow and in true North American style it will be celebrated by exploding 400 pounds of fireworks over the city. Canadians are not the chest beating, anthem roaring patriots their neighbours are so it will probably be quite a nice evening watching some fireworks on the waterfront, I might even make a quiche.

Bye for now

Photo's

2008-06-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

GMS Dam, Peace Country

Anna and Zoe

Cycling at Stanley Park

Anna on her Cruiser

6am! What!

2008-05-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, the rumours are true, I have a 3 month contract that will see me through till the end of our Canadian experience. Yay. They must have hired me for my looks because I do not know the first thing about writing contracts for utilities in the generation of electricity, and they knew it. However, I am learning a lot and learning it fast. It's great to be free from the unpredictable nature of temp work through recruitment agencies. If you have ever supported the Warriors you will understand the experience of temp work; They promise so much on paper but deliver so little on the day. (Apologies to the devoted fans but you know it's true)

Today I went on a trip to Fort St John (North west of Endmonton) to see a dam. I have always considered myself to be saintly but now it has been confirmed. There is a whole town named after the saint that carries my name. A hick townbut a town all the same. The trip was full of cool boys stuff like generators and motors, all of which was lost on Anna when I tried to show her the photo's.

I have decided that travelling to for an hour each day on public transport allows for far too much thinking time. lately my mind has been consumed by all those changes that occur when you are in a long term relationship. Suddenly you are not the person you used to be, I will explain with examples:

The new John:
All my clothes seem to be brown

The old John:
If it's blue it's o.k with me.

The new John:
I'll have a latte please

The old John:
$3.50! for milk and coffee!

The new John:
All my undies are new

The old John:
'Anna, have you seen old blues?'

The best thing about this story is that brown is the new black, I love Lattes and very rarely go a day with out one, and we never found old blues...if you see them approach with caution.

There are plenty more examples, and I know you all have some of your own, but at the moment I am a little tired from a very long day and really need to get some sleep.

Good night

We have jobs! We went for a picnic! I have a man bag!?!

2008-05-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

The City is still its lively self, we have decided that the West End is the coolest area in Vancouver. It has been an awesome weekend weather wise so Anna, Zoe, Mitch and I went for a picnic by the beach. It was very sophisticated, I managed to fumble my way through a killer pork, spinach, capsicum and (the kicker) pear salad while Simon and Zoe made a superb cous cous dish. See, we are becoming quite the civilised city dwelling citizens.

Simon, Anna and Zoe enjoying gourmet cuisine at English Bay.
Our new job resource/toy/time waster.

Anna started work at a cafe in town as a stop gap until something better comes up, she has her eye on a couple of funky local places so we are playing the waiting game for those. I have just finished temping for a bank which basically involved photocopying their whole filing cabinet, not quite where I see my career heading but it served a purpose. I would not have been surprised at all if my replacement was an over achieving chimpanzee. I did have an interview today for a role requiring the preparation and presentation of contracts for an electric company, an area I have no experience in but I may have bluffed my way into a job. We'll wait and see.

Bye for now

The Big Smoke

2008-05-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is the great view of the sunset from our place.

I am proud to announce that we survived the winter at Sunshine and are now enjoying our new abode in Vancouver's trendy West End. The bus trip was filled with your usual greyhound weirdo's. Bruce was our weirdo, retired from the oil industry, with at least 4 children and a wife 30 years his junior; he had been on the bus since Halifax and was on his way to Vancouver a mere 6119km. It had become more than a mode of transport to Bruce, the bus had become part of his existence, he was a greyhound Ambassador! Although we never had a direct conversation with Bruce his stories echoed throughout the bus, his voice just louder than the drone of the bus on the road.

Despite the homelessness and crackheads that call Vancouver home, we are loving our new pad. At this stage we both remain jobless, however John has become well accustomed to this new lifestyle, myself a little more restless. I know I should be enjoying this time of leisure and no responsibility but in my attempt to remain busy and productive I have started creating lists .

List one: 10 Things we will miss about Banff

1. Skiing from our front door to the chairlifts

2. Powder days (although they were few and far between)

3. The mountain free skiing and riding

4. Watching the sunset over Wawa

5. Cheap rent

6. Cheap jugs at Trappers

7. Free internet and endless bludging at work.

8. 30m walk to work, leaving home at 7:59

9. Locals discount in Banff 10% of everything

10. All our awesome friends

List two: 10 things we will not miss about Banff

1. Having to wear thongs/jandals in the shower to prevent nasty foot fungus

2. Walking for 5 minutes across the village to do our washing

3. Frozen milk in the morning (Sure fire way to make Anna really mad in the morning)

4. -30 degrees ( The other day it was 3 degrees and we were warm!)

5. Staff Cafe - not being able to choose what to eat sux. (Would you like some vege's with that butter)

6. Living eating and sleeping in 200m2

7. The power going out when more than one item was plugged in!!

8. The wages

9. Having to go to town on at least one of your days off!

10. Having to listen to your neighbours all day and sometimes all night.

I sound like winger I know but really it was great. I am currently working on the 3rd list :10 things to do while we are in BC, I'll let you know how it goes, hopefully by the time that is done I will have a job!

Until next time........

More snowy photo's

2008-04-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's just such an amazing place.

Bear, a Banff local. Top dog
and a Trained Avalanche expert.

Anna Skiing Back country

Up spook hill, whooooo

Quick update

2008-04-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

Firstly, apologies for the last story. It was a lot funnier at the time. Here's a quick update on our lives. Future, past and present.

We are leaving Banff for Vancouver on May the 4th and will aim to stay in Vancouver for up to 4 months. We may already have a house arranged thanks to Anna's organizational brilliance, now we just need jobs and we're set for the summer. Cool. Mitch and Zoe will be just around the corner and we can't wait to hang out with those two crazy kids again.

The last 6 months have been incredible! Incredibly cold, incredibly fun, incredibly snowy, incredibly isolating, incredibly once in a life time experience. It will be sad to say good-bye but there are many more adventures to enjoy. The highlight for me has been the oppurtunity to experience other resorts. This season we have skied and ridden Revelstoke, Panorama, Lake Louise, Fernie and Kicking Horse twice. That is not to mention losing count of how many days we have enjoyed Sunshine's terrain. We even managed to save a bit of money, bonus!

We are currently receiving the most snow this season, and its April! It snowed 50cm's in the last 24 hours and we had the day off yesterday! Perfect! It will be a great note to go out on with all this snow around and everyone in such a good mood.

Take care

Anna loses her engagement ring!

2008-04-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

So, here is a story for you all to enjoy from the comfort of your living rooms...
It seems I am not the only one this week to loose something precious, only to miraculously find it again. (Gail, I can hear your sighs of relief from here) Last night saw free beer for all, which was naturally followed by drunken frivolities and searing hangovers. The rumors are true; beer does taste better when it’s free! What some of you may or may not know is that it is also enjoyed at a faster pace and in greater volumes. It was as if our lives depended on drinking the bar dry by 9pm. So there we are at a leaner solving the problems of the world, well Sunshine Village, and Anna drops her engagement ring. It is a noisy and dimly lit bar so no ding da ding ding was heard. Despite our best efforts we could not find it anywhere. Realistically we had no chance of finding it amongst the heaving masses anyway. Superman was there and even he couldn’t see it (for those of you who weren’t there it was a superhero dress up party, it wasn’t the real superman). Here is where the story turns…Anna, forever protective of her amber liquid brings it closer to her and goes for a sip, maybe to relieve some pressure, maybe out of habit, but sure enough there it was drowning at the bottom of her glass. Of course we had a beer to celebrate, silly not to, they were free remember. As with any story there must be a moral, in this case there are three:
Beer is always good but sometimes it is magnificent!
Don’t remove your engagement ring from your finger, ever!
Don’t be mad at John about the camera because you too may loose something one day.

I hope we all have learned something here today, I know I have.

Till next time

Only 3 weeks left in Banff!

2008-04-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

It has been a while, I know, but the truth is nothing much has been happening up here. I will however attempt to create interesting stories out of the mundane. I spent the first 48-60 hours after we returned from Fernie in bed sick. I pride myself on being the type who doesn’t get sick, the one who gets better by drinking lots of water and going for a run but this was a bad case of the flu and I embraced every over the counter drug Anna, or anyone else could throw at me. Night times were spent in a sweaty slumber, mornings were spent avoiding the sweat patch and day time consisted of drug induced drooling in front of the tele. Not a pretty sight.

The good news is Anna and I have a date for the start of our next adventure! May the 1st will be our last day working at Sunshine and we will be in Vancouver on May 4th. There is the dread of the 16 hour bus ride from Banff to Vancouver but we can’t wait to have a change of pace. You’ll be surprised to here I am having a bit of trouble deciding where to go for a holiday following the ski season. I’m sure we’ll work something out though.

Anna spent the day snowboarding last week and you'll be pleased to know there were no broken bones. By the end of the day she was linking her turns together and getting down the mountain no worries. We are still waiting for the 'spring skiing' everyone keeps talking about. -10 is still freezing to me reguardless of how sunny it is. We skied and boarded some back country terrain yesterday. It sounds a lot more extreme than it actually is, we only hiked for about 10 minutes then dropped into a valley called backdoor. I took some really nice photos, put the camera back in my pocket, forgot to zip it up and lost it during the run. Oh no, John is in trouble. It's o.k though the story does have a happy ending. We hiked out to the same spot, followed my run and sure enough there it was sitting in the snow saying 'tricked you'.
That really is all I have to update you on.

Take care

John, Anna and the camera

2008-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the randomness of the photo layout, I can't figure out how to get it right. Maybe one day I'll have time to get it perfect.

Photo's

2008-03-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

Steve on his last lift, exhausted.

This is for all the Fernies out there

And the winner is....

2008-03-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

You all guessed it, Anna was the winner by about half a second. All my money was on her too, she turned out to be a safe bet. Steve did improve his skiing though, he even looked fairly comfortable in the powder at Fernie. Believe it or not. Our road trip was a great adventure, we were lucky to get a good combination of fresh snow and bright blue sunny days. It started with Kicking Horse in Golden, where the snow was a little hard and icy but the terrain was the most challenging of the trip. We then moved on 3 hours south to Fernie where we had a powder day on day one and bluebird on day two. You couldn't have scripted it better than that. Being the first on the mountain on day two saw us get first tracks from the top of the 'Lift Face' t-bar (at 5,900 feet) which drops you into the 'Lizard Bowl'. The combination of steep terrain, fresh snow, beautiful scenery and good company made this the best riding I have ever done, love Fernie. We also found this awesome Mexican restaurant called El-Guapos, they had connect four at the tables and served $4.25 Mexican branded beer which helped to sooth any aches and pains from a hard days skiing.
We are now looking forward to the spring skiing where the temperature actually gets above zero and we can wear a t-shirt while out on the slopes. Can't wait.

Take care

2008-03-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Steve Vs Anna...Who wins...

2008-03-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Lake Louise, round two

2008-03-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

Last time I left you Steve and I were about to go skiing. There is one story of interest to come from that first morning on the mountain. Apart from a couple of great stacks, leaving Steve looking like frosty the snowman, Steve experienced vertigo…We had just finished a run with substantial mogul’s and were cruising past the magic carpet where children ride up to a mellow practice slope. Steve had to pull up at the bottom of this and suddenly turned as white as the snow that surrounded him. What followed can only be described as projectile. Parents were covering their children’s eyes and running for higher ground as the valley was flooded with sultana bran. Meanwhile I was giving it the ‘move along, nothing to see here’ while scooping white snow onto the brown snow, eeeeew. Since then Steve’s been fine, we have had bright bluebird days and he is loving it.
Anna, Steve and I went to Lake Louise on Friday and it was awesome! I strapped on skis for the second time and I loved it. After sliding 50m down the first blue run on my back head first, clutching my skis and poles to my chest, cursing, I recomposed myself and had a blast. I may even retire the snowboard and buy a set of skis, I loved it that much. My favourite run was ‘Grizzly Gully’ which had a few moguls in it (Anna’s favourite is still ‘Wooley Bully’ at Revelstoke). It is quite amusing to note our vastly different styles when it comes to negotiating the moguls. Anna: Elegant and petite. Steve: Determined and robust. Me: Thankful and fortunate.
Next on the agenda is a road trip to Golden and Fernie, can’t wait!

Congratulations to Simon and Zoe Mitchell who were married on Saturday the 8th of March. I’m sure the day was amazing. We’ll see you soon.

So long

John

Steve Arrives!!

2008-03-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Steve, Anna’s brother, arrived late yesterday afternoon for a two week ski trip. He’s like a little kid after a jug of raspberry, walking around in his ski boots at 7:30 this morning. He can barely contain himself. We have planned trips to Fernie, Lake Louise, Castle Mountain and maybe Kicking Horse. So, as you can see it will be a hectic 2 weeks.
Anna and I were both nominated for employee of the month which involves a buffet dinner with management, supervisors and fellow nominees. The dinner was pretty impressive. There was sea food, Alberta beef, great salads and the piece de resistance; a chocolate fountain! Mmmmm. Heineken was free all night and was thoroughly enjoyed, I would even go as far as to say it was savored. This event is held once a month and a grand winner is voted on by a committee, if you win you get a night in our hotel and dinner for two at Eagles Nest, our high end restaurant. And the winner was…John Prins. You know I don’t like a scene so I was very embarrassed but stoked to be getting a night in the hotel and free dinner. We also get tailor made trail sign and a jumper each just for being nominated.
Steve will be waiting for me at the Wawa chair lift so I’m off to show him around the mountain for a bit.

Bye

Anna looking good

2008-02-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Ha ha - Rookies

2008-02-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

So pretty to watch!

2008-02-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

2008-02-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

Anna skiing Revelstoke

2008-02-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

Photo's!

2008-02-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

PHOTO'S!

2008-02-18T13:03:00.001-08:00

Sunshine Village adventures

2008-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

There is a lot to report on over the last couple of weeks and I have finally managed to find 10 minutes to sit down and tell you all about it. So here goes… On Tuesday the 5th of Feb Anna and I fell upon a couple of free tickets to a NHL hockey game, Calgary vs. Phoenix. We jumped in a bus and drove the hour into Calgary where we strapped ourselves into the Saddledome and witnessed the best game of hockey ever. It had everything; a fight in the first period, I think someone made a ‘your mama’ joke, the other guy told him to puck off and it was all on. The referee actually had to move the goal posts to allow them to continue, brilliant! Calgary were down 3-0 with 20 minutes to go, they then scored two goals and with 7 seconds left scored an equalizer. Oh my god, Cliffy, Anna and I yelled, screamed, hugged, laughed and high fived as if the All Blacks had won the world cup (which is possibly the closest we will come to such an emotion). The game then went into a riveting extra time and finished with Calgary winning in a shoot out. It was an amazing night and it was free! Aside from the $10 burgers and $7 beers.

On the afternoon of Sunday the 10th of Feb seven of us hired a van and crammed snowboards, skis, jackets, pants, goggles, gloves and our bodies into it before driving 4 hours to a wee town and ski village called Revelstoke. It is in very early developmental stages with only a gondola and two lifts but they have plans to make Revelstoke bigger than Whistler Blackomb! The terrain was incredible, it takes a good 20 minutes to ski from the top to bottom. They boast the largest vertical descent in Canada and you know all about it in your legs! Unless you’re an athlete like me. We headed home on Tuesday evening after a days skiing and boarding and as we drove away it was dumping snow. It took us 5 hrs to drive about 150 kms through Rogers Pass in what can only be described as a blizzard. Cars and trucks were strewn all over the road. It reminded me of the dodgems at Fantasy Land, only with snow, really big trucks and no Dad to watch out for.

It was Anna’s birthday yesterday and we celebrated enthusiastically. Hence the large cup of coffee I have on my desk. Today we are taking the afternoon off to have high tea at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel proceeded by some ice skating. Very civilized, I know.

Photos will follow, promise.

Take care all

John and Anna

Lake Louise

2008-02-03T07:42:00.001-08:00

On Friday Anna and I traveled 30 minutes down the road to a little place called Lake Louise, you may have heard of it. It is as beautiful as all the photos postcards and getaway shows suggest. We skied and boarded at the Lake Louise Ski Resort which is only 5 minutes away from the Chateau. We caught up with Kristen Spiers at the Temple lodge for a coffee and she took us on a goat track of a run through all sorts of trees and rocks.
We indulged and had a few après ski beers at the lakeview lounge at the Chateau, where you can have a $38 afternoon tea, sounds just delightful! And walked around the ice sculpture exhibit, which attracts artists from around the world, some amazing creations.

On Thursday I tried my hand at skiing. Anna was as patient as a saint with me falling and losing my skis at every opportunity. It was loads of fun and nice for a change from riding a snowboard.

Last night we went to a wine tasting evening at the hotel which is hosted by Cindy in our payroll office. It was really fun although I now realize how highly uncultured I am. I do know however that we sampled a ‘big’ merlot from Washington which contained an aroma of oak, red berries and pepper. Anna could only smell rubber and it just smelt like red wine to me but we played the part by contributing plenty of ‘mmmms’ and ‘oh yeahs’. We also tried 5 other varieties which I will not attempt to spell as I cannot even say them. Matching a variety of cheeses, olives and crackers and their flavors to each wine was really fun too.

We had the coldest day yet on Monday the 28th of Jan, it was minus 36 degrees at its coldest and the gondola stopped, stranding those who live up here on the mountain. I have never felt any thing so cold in my life, and hope never to again.

Enjoy the photos, they were taken on our day trip to Lake Louise. It was a cloudy day but still very impressive.

Byyyeeee

Lake Louise

2008-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

This is Anna on a similar Lake Louise run. Elegance is the first word that comes to my mind.

I hope these videos work!

Lake Louise

2008-02-03T07:20:00.001-08:00

Footage of John Riding at Lake Louise, you'll have to mind the skiers at the beginning. Anna was having a bit of trouble finding me.

Happy Australia Day!!

2008-01-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

G'day mates,

Hope you all are having, had or are about to have a cracker Aussie day. All is quiet on the hill at the moment as Anna and I are both working. I am set to cook a BBQ for the staff up here so that should be interesting. I've never cooked a barbie in the snow. Any suggestions? All are welcome.

We went to Calgary yesterday on a shopping trip which was good, I nearly impaled myself on a tree branch the day before so was happy to have a day off the board. Anna spent the day with a ski instructor and loved it, she has taken to skiing like a sheep to baaa-ing. The shopping trip was largley unsuccessful, I am still on the look out for a ski jacket after ripping a hole in mine during the above mentioned tree branch incident.

These are a couple of the photos we took on our most recent trip to Panorama Mountain Resort.

Right, I've got a bbq to tend to.

Till next time.

The village

2008-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is an image taken from one of our webcams on our internal website, it's a bit blury but the building at the top left is Arnica building where I work. You can check out the webcams yourself at skibanff.com.

Another webcam image: The big building on the right with Daylodge writen on it is where Anna works and where I'm about to go on a coffee run for the HR crew. The building next to this is the Sunshine Inn hotel. Hope you can see it O.K.

Some Photos!!

2008-01-11T06:41:00.001-08:00

Laryx Building - It's where we live

View from one of the runs at Kicking Horse, Golden.

Anna at Sunshine, stopping for the crucial hot chocolate.

Anna and Cliffy enjoying a cheecky beverage. Sunshineshine Village Lager is the drop of choice over here. Not sure about Cliffs headband, I think it was a pink party and thats his lame attepmt at dressing up. What you can't see is that Anna is wearing her pink P.J pants.

The Veiw from our window one sunny morning.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

It is christmas day, its snowing and Anna and I are both working. Well, I guess what I'm doing now is not technically work but I'm at work. We had a really fun night at Trappers last night, the festivities continued into the early hours but opening all the wonderful presents we received cured any 'tiredness'. Christmas dinner will be served at stafe cafe with a traditional Greek theme which should be interesting at least.

Anna and I hosted a day trip to Kicking Horse ski resort in Golden, BC on the 20th of Dec. This is one of the many perks of working in HR. Anna skied like a demon, even with a broken arm and is now officially a skier. The Mountain was amazing, the powder was knee deep in places and the tree runs were awesome. We will definately try to return to this area for another day. Next trip is Panorama ski resort, can't wait.

Back at Sunshine it really has become the silly season, the expected number of skiers on the 27th of Dec is 7000! We average about 3000 on a normal day. Anna is bracing herself in her little deli. On christmas Eve a group of us skied and boarded down one of the runs in the dark holding massive flares as a torch light parade, apparently it looked very impressive and you'd hope so considering it was -30 outside and you couldn't see bumps or more importantly rocks on the way down. Thankfully there were no tumbles and the beer was icy cold at the bottom.

For those of you who love facts like me, here are a few about where we live:
Average annual snow fall: Up to 30 feet/9 meters
Skiable terrain: 3,358 acres
Best coffee on the mountain: Anna Saunders, Deli
Number of named runs: 107
Number of times John has fallen over on these runs: 1,756,005 (always safely Mum!)
Top elevation: 8954 feet (2730 meters)
Elevation where we live: About 7200 feet
Season length: mid November to late May

Hope you all had a fantastic Chrissie. We are thinking of you all, especially at this time of year.

Until next time, stay jolly.

John and Anna

Finally some photos

2007-12-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

2007-11-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry can't add photo's at the moment, technical issue at Sunshine, We officially hate technology.

Banff Chap 4

2007-11-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

It has been a whirl wind few weeks, The mountain opened on the 15th Nov and Work has been all consuming. I have managed to get a couple of days riding in but the snow is still a scarce resource, which is a funny thing to say as we live in a ski village.
We went on a roadie to the United States, YEE HAW. We stayed in a wee town called Whitefish in Montana. It was no Austin Texas but we enjoyed the hospitality and plenty of random conversations with locals who could not get over our accents. The beer was served in jam jars and was only $1.25. Needless to say the next morning was confronting on the senses. We travelled back to Sunshine via Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, An interpretive centre where the Native Canadians used to drive Buffalo of a massive cliff. A very cool place well worth the visit.
Since then Trappers (mountain bar) and snowboarding has been our entertainment source, of which there have been peaks and troughs.

Peaks:
1) Opening morning had seen a dump of 10cm overnight and powder was everywhere! Its so soft and fluffy flumery instantly came to mind and I had a ball on the mountain.
2) Wednesday is dance night at Trappers, very good night and I actually danced, for ages. I officially appologise to anyone who was unlucky enough to witness the catastrophe that is John on the dance floor.
3) We went to Banff hot springs which were awesome, with a capital O. 40 degrees in the water and its snowing on your head. bliss.

Troughs:
1) Working a little too hard, but I guess that is how we do it. We just can't help ourselves. I blame our parents for instilling us with such a hard work ethic.
2)3)4) and 5) Anna went out for her first snowboard and was loving it, untill.... a stray back edge was hit and Head wrist and snow collided. Consequently a fOOSH (fallen on outstretched hand) occured. After a trip to the A & E and $800 later Anna emerged with a broken radius and a half cast. Thank god for travel insurance. Its O.K though, we have become Mr and Mrs Positive (The title is no longer yours Liv) and we have made a list of all the good things that will come of it:
1) More delegating = less work
2) The sympathy vote
3) Bowe is once again house hubby (a common theme occuring)
4) Not biting nails on right hand
5) Anna is actually ambidextrous
6) Anna will now not have to decide what to wear as there are only a few clothing items she can put on herself
7) Anna doesn't have to shave her legs
8) Travel insurance investment will be a 100% return.
9) We can re-use our plastic bags for showers
10) Anna will have a really skinny right arm
11) Anna's snowboard makes a really good clothesline
12) Anna will learn the art of being patient/ a patient
13) Every one on the mountain now knows her name
14) We can rent her board for money, when not being used as a clothesline
15) Bowe now has an official snowboarding photographer
16) More time to spend in Trappers.
17) Mum will send me a big care package? Actually that goes for anyone...
send to:
Anna Saunders
Staff Accomodation
Sunshine Village
PO Box 1510
Banff, AB, CAnada
T1L1J5
18) At least she can still work, would be really hard living up here and not being able to work or play.

So lucky to have John looking after me, can't dress or shower myself very easily. I get breakfast and lunch made for me, don't think I could cope without him. Shirley you would be so proud!

Anyway back to the Doctor next week for check up so will keep you informed. Should be back on the board in about 3 weeks cast'n'all, thinking I will go back to skiing for a while.

Hope everyone is well thanks for all your comments on here. And Facebookers we'll be there soon. Promise!

Look after yourselves

Too-da-loo

Banff - Chap 3

2007-10-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry its been a while but we've been having a few internet issues. Anna has been working since Monday while I have become a house hubby, and a very efficient one at that. I have actually become a mountaineer. I conquered two mountains in three days. Cliff (a friend we have met from Victoria) and I climbed Sulfur Mountain (5500 feet) on Tuesday. It's about a $30 ride up as everything in Banff is expensive, so naturally we chose to walk up and get the free ride down, some would say cheap and thrifty, I prefer tough and manly.
We move up on to Sunshine mountain on Monday and I start work on Tuesday. I can't wait as its now been about a month since I had an income. Still no serious snow after a promising start to the week but our fingers remained crossed. It was karaoke night last night which is always a goody, I'm pleased to report that I did not sing the gambler and Anna did not knock anything over, all in all a successful night. We have picked up bedding for free from a Welsh guy named Dave (dy) we met through our roomies, Floss and Cath. Yes Floss is a man and he was in the Marines so don't laugh!! Dave the Welshman is potentially the nicest guy we have ever met (apart from you Mitch), he has the best accent we found ourselves just listening to him without actually hearing the words. Anna has been a little stressed with her new job as it seems to be highly unorganized, but lets face it, if things aren't listed alphabetically Anna becomes irritable. I'm sure things will all work themselves when the mountain opens and I love and admire her dedication to the cause, the little poppet.
If you would like to see where we will be living and working you can go to skibanff.com and look at the Sunshine Ski Village in particular.

Oh and any suggestions for a halloween costume would be much appreciated

I hope everyone is well and our love to you all

Till next time...

Banff - chap 2

2007-10-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Allo all,

It has been an exciting day, firstly it started snowing!! Then Anna and I were both offered jobs on The Sunshine Ski Resort (about 15 mins out of Banff). Anna will be managing one of the Cafes on the mountain and I was offered a role in HR handling work cover claims and staff benefits. All those hours at AIH really have paid off. With a bit of luck we will be provided staff accommodation on the mountain so we really will be living the winter dream.
Hostel life has been great so far, we have met so many nice people and some absolute characters. The hostel bar seems to have events on every night you cannot avoid, even if you wanted to, so there has been plenty of shinanigans influenced by the local ale. One day we will share these stories with you in private. We will post more photos of Banff soon, promise.

Take care

Banff - chap 1

2007-10-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

We have arrived in Banff after a grueling 14 hour bus ride through the banjo dueling Canadian country side. We checked into The Hi Hostel on Saturday morning and since then our lives have been a lethal combination of beer, sight seeing and serious job hunting. The town is very accommodating to people seeking work, the only problem being accommodation. We have interviews for Sunshine mountain lined up on Wednesday and it seems as though once the snow falls there will be a mad rush of employment.
It is 17 degrees today which has been very unexpected but pleasant. The wild life is amazing, so calm and abundant. We are yet to see a bear but don't worry, you will know when we do. I think they have all gone to bed for winter and maybe that is why the elk are in such a docile mood. That is all to report on for now, please feel free to leave a comment. Any contact from the home land is much appreciated and never fails to give us a smile.

bye for now

2007-10-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Top left: The view from the Vancouver lookout, The dome is where they play ice hockey aye.
top right: Lord Stanley and Lord John in Stanley park.
middle left: view from the Fairmont Banff springs hotel, the elk pictured was just hanging out in the grounds while children were swimming in a pool about 10 meters away
The rest (you figure it out): Anna at bow falls (ironic)
Bottom middle: John on rock, pretty self explanatory really.

2007-10-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Mitch we seriously saw this, you must be bigger than you thought!
Bit of a mix with syd/van photo's, still having teething problems, max knows about it!

talk soon
Love
Anna and John

2007-10-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hey all, we have safely arrived in vancouver and loving it. There is so much to say about this city which population wise is not that big but it seems like there is a lot to offer. We have actually been taking notes so we can accurately update the blog, how embarrassing is that. Firstly the toilets, they are half filled with water, coming from a drought ridden country this seems ridiculous, but, im not sure what the reasoning is, just the way it is, maybe someone can fill us in.
There is a serious lack of bottle shops, every corner where you think there may be a BWS a "BLENZ COFFEE" shop takes place, or a nail spa, or 25c peep shows, weird! We know trying to buy a six pack over the counter was a full excersion in it'self. And when we did find one it was about the size of Hugo's bedroom, this is the capital of BC we are talking about.
Weird things are cheap here, GST is 17% but GST is never included in the price, so you go to pay for your goods and at the counter you find things are more expensive than advertised, strange but aparantly if we keep receipts we can claim all this back. Banana's and dried pasta are the same price, and dont think about buying dairy products, expensive as your nana. And they have one cent coins!!! so 1980's.
A regular coffee is the size of John's head, not big i know, but too big for anna's wee tummy. We have started sharing them and getting strange looks from cafe owners.

- here endith the rant

We went For a walk today through the amazing Stanley park, saw some squirrels which was the highlight of John's day. There were plenty of giggles over those little things. If you've seen "over the hedge" they are exactly the same. Vancouver really is a beautiful city and we have enjoyed our time greatly. Tomorrow we spend 17 hours on a bus to Banff - woo hoo.

Its like Vancouver is anti beauracracy getting a bank account and a SIN or TFN/IRD number has been unbeliveably easy, easier than trying to deide which beer to drink.

anyway here are some photo's, the bus is for Hugo! BIG BUSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Sydney

2007-10-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

We Finally made it to the big smoke in Oz. Spent the first day drinking beer, eating pizza and catching up with Anna's brother Steve in Manly. Very cool little spot. Friday involved The Opera House, big bridge breaky central. Anna was like a little kid lining up to sit on santas lap when she saw Kochie and got on T.V outside the studio. A swim with sharks (didn't see any but they're there, I promise) at Manly took up Saturday morning followed closely by a few bevy's in preparation for a massive night of footy. Bras, Mads, Phil, Helen, Steve, Dave, Anna and I played some pool and enjoyed a plesant evening at the Oaks in Neutral Bay. The plesantness of it all soon soured when firstly Aussie were beaten and then, yes, The AB's went down. De Ja Vu anyone...? it's not just a game!
Heading off to Maroubra beach tonight to spend some time with Toni and Brad by the beach, 2 more sleeps! Will put some sydney photo's on soon, bowe forgot the chord, rookie!

hoo roo

Byron Bay, NSW

2007-08-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is our most recent adventure to Byron Bay. Anna, Glen, Ed and I travelled down for two nights and had a ball. Wonderful place.

These photos are taken at the most eastern point of Australia (a good fact for all those out there playing at home). We didn't see any dolphins but maybe thats cause we were looking the wrong way.

Our next outing will be to Vancouver via Sydney, very excited about that one. We will attempt to post photos and blurbs at regular intervals so please enjoy and let us know ow you all are.

Take it easy.