So my time is up, eh?

The last blog!

I'm in my final two weeks: I'll be home on 11th October.

Where am I?!

I'm spending the night in jail. That is, in A jail. Or more specifically a hostel in Ottawa that used to be a jail. It still has cell doors and cages, it's pretty unique. Ghosts too apparently. Two nights here, then I move on to Quebec City for a few days, followed by a long weekend in Montreal. I fly back to Vancouver on 9th and home on 10th from there: I couldn't change my homeward ticket to fly from the east. At least it gives me one last day back on comforting soil – it's odd being on the move again after being so settled.

The festival is finished

I survived. It was intense and insane but amazing.

I didn't manage to see nearly as many shows as I'd hoped, which was annoying as I wanted to see them ALL and I felt an allegiance to each performer who'd been nice to me during the getting-them-here process. Edinburgh spoiled me – having a month to see all you want is a luxury. Many of our shows were running simultaneously, so I couldn't be in two places at once (I tried) and ran out of steam fairly quickly. Also, I was 'on-call' for performers and random things so spent most of any shows I watched slithering around at the back of the auditorium clutching my phone, watching to see if people were laughing.

I stayed at the hotel for the last few nights: sleeping in a fold-down bed in our Festival Hub, which saved the exhausting trips home and back each day. After getting home at 5am I had to be up and presentable at 9am to get going with my work before I opened the Hub for the day. The Hub was open til 7pm, when I tried to escape to some shows, spent the night dotted around town at various venues and ended up cross-eyed with tiredness in the small hours, checking that the performers were having a good time and could get home, and drowning out the day with a few honey lagers.

We pulled it off though: performers, agents and patrons all were vocal with compliments and they seem very keen that I come back to do it all again: re-create the team and iron out the parts that caused us pain behind the scenes. Never say never, but next year is a whole new adventure for me so I can't decide anything yet.

TEAM COMEDYFEST

KATIE, ME, GRACIE, LINDSAY

ONE OF OUR NICER PERFORMERS:

(LINDSAY) MARC MARON (ME - STUPIDLY TIRED, LAST DAY)

Vancouver

I very much love Vancouver. Which other city has a plethora of clean and inviting beaches within easy reach of the city centre, defined areas for different moods and personalities, ski resorts within easy commuting distance and a park the size of the entire downtown core? The city workers' strike has tainted the experience slightly: I'm still grumpy I never got to swim in the awesome outdoor pools here this summer (they are presently turning green and full of bathing seagulls). And the garbage. Bringing in men with masks and trucks to clear out alleyways where rats were beginning to gnaw on homeless people sleeping there (apparently) due to the uncollected garbage. It stinks.

A SCENE FROM BEHIND MY WORK! THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEONE ASLEEP IN THERE...

Bubble Tea! Taco Time! I'll miss it. 4th Avenue. I'll miss it lots. Shopping with Lindsay: what can I say?! The Templeton Diner.... American Apparel. I wonder how much Air Canada will charge me to take home all my stuff: I've gone shopping crazy since Rob left. After a slow start, I'm now in a position where I know enough people and the city feels like home. Rarely do I catch the bus the wrong way these days. Lindsay has welcomed me into her group and I hate that I'm leaving it. Never would I have imagined myself singing Karaoke before Vancouver.

JODY AND BUSTER - MY BOYS!

SEPTEMBER HEATWAVE ON THE BEACH WITH ADRIENNE

It's been great – I can scarcely believe my year here is over, though so much has happened. I am excited about going home and seeing all the changes I've missed but my pot of gold is Australia: November 28th. Rob's still waiting for me.

I don't rule out that Vancouver could be my/our home again one day. Let's see what happens.

A new life in Vancouver

I am now living and working in Vancouver, in the last stretch of my time in Canada (can you believe it!).

Back in a desk-job!

I started work at Destination Funny three weeks ago, which began with unpacking boxes, cleaning out a smelly fridge and heaving filing cabinets around as they'd literally just moved into the new premises. Since then I've been doing other random tasks to do with getting the office up and running, vaguely getting electronic perfomer/show tracking documents ready for this year based on those from last year and generally just listening very hard to what is going on with Heather and Will, the directors. Most of it is still a mystery to me though.

Our office is in a refurbished old building where downtown meets Chinatown. The street behind my work is the infamous West Hastings Street: the poorest area in the whole of Canada, apparently. Oddly it's a very self-contained area: move one or two blocks in the right direction and you're back in urban downtown. Rob and I took a stroll through the area the day we arrived to find my office, and unwittingly wandered into the no-go zone. It was fairly terrifying, but to my relief we were pretty much ignored. The Hastings street characters do stray downtown though, mostly to collect bottles and cans to take to the depot (for $$$. It's a way of life). They roam the streets with their shopping trolleys, rummaging through dumpsters and sifting through residential recyling bins. There isn't a bin for bottles and cans, but general accepted practise is to leave them by the bins and they'll be gone in a matter of minutes.

Unbeknown to Heather and Will when they moved in to the building, our next door neighbours are an organisation helping to find regular jobs for sex trade workers. One member of staff is a mid-50s gentleman with large.... boobs (apparently he's had a sex change, but the boobs – impressive as they are – are seemingly the only actual physical change. It's very strange, but very entertaining).They operate a drop-in system as well, so our floor is often busy with questionably dressed colourful characters (male and female, and often surprisingly young or old) However before anyone starts to worry about me, it really doesn't feel unsafe. Really! Three weeks in and I'm getting used to it.

What happened in between

So backtracking a little, after we left Tofino on July 2nd, we spent a few relaxing days in Victoria, then on to Calgary for a few days with Andrew and Jen (my brother and his girlfriend). We watched the three-hour stampede parade through the centre of town, a proper rodeo – during which one of the cowboys was thrown from a bull in such a way he passed out instantaneously and landed like a sack of tatties on the ground, it was quite alarming – and drank beers in the famous Nashville North. It was extremely hot in Calgary and I got mauled by some bugs, but we had a lovely time and got looked after well.

We arrived in Vancouver on Sunday 8th July, where we stayed in a horribly hot and busy hostel with terrible cooking facilities (they heard all about it in my review form...) while I frantically searched for something a little more homely. We got lucky and found a sublet for the remainder of the month in Kitsilano, a delightfully likeable trendy but down-to-earth suburb, minutes walk from the beach. We were sharing with Jeff, a poker-loving protein-shake-drinking golf/volleyball/work-out fanatic with a little too much testosterone for either of us to really relate to, but who made a pleasant enough roomate.

Finding somewhere to live can be a full-time occupation

The search continued after only a short rest, as I still had to find somewhere for myself from when Rob left. It wasn't easy – I had to endure numerous disappointing viewings and popularity contests with other applicants. I fell for a 20th storey appartment downtown with stunning views, sharing with a bunch of French guys, but they clearly found someone they preferred as I didn't hear back from them. I was interviewed in depth by a girl who lived with her three cats in an appartment where the air was thick with cat hair – it was too disgusting for me to ever consider it. In the end, it worked out really well and here I am with Jody (young gay male) and Buster (big fat cat) on West Broadway. I'm still within easy walking distance of the beach and the house is a funky 2-storey place with a really homely feel. Toni owns the place and is off on her travels for a few months, leaving Jody in charge and me to cover the rent.

I'm a solo traveller once again

Rob left yesterday, the fateful long-awaited separation which will not see us reunited until I get myself to Brisbane. Provisional date for that is 28 December. There were lots of tears, it wasn't at all easy, but with the aid of the internet and determination we plan to keep things going until we can be together again. I'm going to be terribly lonely while I adjust to being on my own again, but I just have to get back into the swing of filling my time with random activities. Work will no doubt pick up beyond belief as the festival approaches anyway. I've already had 2 days off which Heather and Will say will be easily offset by the extra hours during the festival.

So you may hear from me a little more these days...!

Tofino Time: It's the Final Countdown

Newsflash! Esso Girl is hanging up her hat

Esso Girl: A term some of the locals (affectionately?) have used for me, which has caused me amusement over the months. "Aah, you're Esso Girl".

I certainly know my way round a rack of cigarettes and a lottery terminal

Some time around three weeks ago I decided it might be time to move on fairly soon, so Rob and I started plotting our escape. Since then I finally had my phone interview with the directors of the Vancouver Comedy Festival (at 9pm, no less) – after months of me chasing them by email and follow up phonecalls. It seems persistence has paid off and I have been given the job of Programming and Artists Coordinator – a job far better than I ever expected. I'd assumed they'd take me on as a ticket-seller for the run of the festival, but I'm going to be working with the Festival Director setting up the programme and arranging everything for the incoming artists. The contract is from July 9th until October 5th and to say I'm excited is a gross understatement.

The Vancouver Comedy Festival is quite different to the Edinburgh Festival in that the owners hand-pick acts as a showcase of talent, bringing in the artists and looking after their every need. Edinburgh is a mixed bag of hit and miss shows, where artists rent venue space and fret over their own ticket sales. The Vancouver festival is far smaller, but is coordinated by a team of around six people. I am feeling very lucky to be one of those and I am ready for the challenge (who wouldn't be after two months of selling junk food).

We handed in our notice at the gas station a few days ago, citing a job back in Australia for him as our reason for departure, and that I would be too lonely to remain in tiny Tofino alone (both these facts are true). Now that we have ten days left here, things are feeling a lot more precious – typically. I am going to miss living in the wilderness, cycling on the beach, campfires, surfing and the simple life, but I'm also very excited about Vancouver and all it has to offer.

I like to think I made some positive changes at the gas station in my short time there. They weren't recycling cardboard or paper (criminal) as they reckoned there was noone to collect it, so I put in a bit of time and found a girl with a truck who, for a meagre $10 a week, picks it all up and takes it to the depot. The hard part is training the staff to separate the garbage, but I think they're getting the hang of it now...

What's been happening in Tofino?

My birthday! We had a lovely day – waffles out for breakfast, a high-seas whale-watching trip with successful grey and humpback whale-spotting (with sealions and eagles thrown in for good measure), walking the Big Trees Trail on Meares Island and dinner at SOBO, currently my favourite restaurant in the whole world. I tried oysters for the first time and it was triumphant.

Suited up for whale-watching

The Big Trees Trail delivered exactly what it promised...

Surfing still gets the better of me all too frequently, but I have the odd moment when I feel like I know what I'm doing and it feels pretty good. I often lament over how fit and muscular I would be if I didn't work in, and live hopping distance from, junk food paradise (you have NO IDEA). I developed a fondness for Jones Berry Lemonade, a bright blue soda which I drank every day until my tongue came out in spots and I had to stop.

We took advantage of our 'locals' status again and went on a hot springs trip: a full day involving black bear and whale spotting and a walk through the rainforest on Flores Island to the natural hot springs.

BOTH my brothers came out for a weekend, as David was on this side of the pond for business, which was a treat and a half. We did a whole lot of surfing, barbequed shrimp and burgers, went for another fabulous dinner at SOBO and had a beachfire at night. This means that Rob has now met my entire family, which is something of a miracle.

The next adventure...

We plan to leave Tofino on Monday July 2nd and head to Victoria for a couple of days, where we can fly to Calgary from in order to catch a couple of days of the Calgary Stampede with Andrew and Jen before flying back to Vancouver in time for me to start work on July 9th.

We're going to miss Zeena the cat a lot: she's a very affectionate and amusing little thing, skidding around on the lino and biting our toes through the duvet.

The box I made her one bored evening at work. I think this may have been the only time she ever ventured in.

Wish me luck with my new job! Hopefully all the trans-fat and MSG I've been consuming haven't rotted my brain too much...

Tofino Time: Half the speed, twice the pleasure

The next exciting instalment of my life in Tofino!

Home sweet home... the little green house. Practically on the Esso forecourt, as you can see.

I have been working in the Esso garage for a couple of weeks now, selling junk food far more than petrol. The selection of candy in store is second to none, which makes resistance very difficult while at work.The shifts are very long and dull in the most part, but it is regular and reliable and gives us our accommodation. It is also the Tofino equivalent of validating in Whistler: I get to see and speak to the biggest spread of people from the town and so it is quite cool in that respect. Example: I got my fringe cut for free in the local salon because one of the hairdressers remembered me from the garage.

Rob remained relatively a man of leisure until recently, although he did take on a few days gardening work for a local Rhododendron fanatic whose large hillside garden overlooking Tofino is open for public viewing and praise. This involved a lot of digging and wood lumbering and being told he wasn't working fast enough by the old man. Three days was quite enough of that for him.

He has now started work at the surf school in the rentals department, and also training at the Esso garage (part of the deal was that he would work some shifts too). Unfortunately because they don't want us to be working together, we are on back-to-back shifts and never seem to have any time together. Once his training period is over things should improve though.

We bought all our equipment with surprising ease: I got a second-hand board which is ideal for my level and Rob picked up a new one that had been slightly damaged for a very pleasing price. We have bikes from the co-op with expensive surfboard racks, which have enhanced our life enormously. The best surfing beach is about 15 minutes cycle away: it's all (nearly) flat, there's a cycle path and the weather has been delightful for the past week plus, so it's very pleasant. We usually cycle to and from the beach in our wetsuits: sounds disgusting, but it's the easiest way. The little green house has a yard with a hot outdoor shower which is a breeze for rinsing everything afterwards.

We have been surfing almost every day since we got our gear. I have been making some small steps of progress, though I still maintain it is the hardest thing I've ever tried to learn. Rob is a very patient teacher and puts up with my huffs when it's not going at all well with great humility and moral-boosting comments (mostly falling on deaf ears). Conditions change dramatically from one day to the next, so it's hard for learning to be at all consistent. I am still developing the right muscles in my shoulders and arms, so I need the odd day of rest to let them recover. The good bits make it all worthwhile though, and Rob is as excited as I am when I manage to actually surf across a wave.

Beach fires are allowed here and we've become good at rustling up a fire post-surf, putting away disgusting amounts of toasted marshmallows (it's amazing how many you can eat before you begin to feel ill). One of the lifties we worked with in Whistler, Luke, is passing through town just now on his under-canvas tour of Canada, so we have been surfing, drinking beer and playing frisbee with him, upping the stakes on what we can cook on a campfire by making fully successful cheeseburgers.

Life at home took a turn for the interesting when it became obvious in a fore-head slapping moment of realisation that our flatmate Miles and his friend Derrick, who spends a lot of time with Miles in his (very small) bedroom and has episodes of being camper than a row of pink tents are in fact a couple. Why this hadn't been obvious before I don't know, possibly as Miles doesn't show any signs. Being 17 and still, for the most part, in the closet (especially at work – mostly because noone realises and he is too young to know how to/to want to bring it up) I think they were quietly relieved when we worked it out for ourselves and clearly aren't in the least bit bothered. Derrick lives 3 hours away but visits frequently, when they are so extremely happy to be together (plus Derrick likes to clean the house, definite bonus).

Our cat Zeena escaped recently and was gone for a terrifying 24 hours. We were all set to make posters to put up round town, and things were very tense with Miles and Derrick as Zeena belongs to Derrick but lives here in Tofino as he can't have her at his place in Parksville (3 hours away). Luckily she reappeared, so all is well, though it seems she has a new glint in her eye and a wild urge to get back outside...

Other highlights:

My freckles: out of control!

Sealions: very curious about surfers. I nearly messed my wetsuit when one popped up beside us as we bobbed about on our boards.

Not spending much money: a welcome change from Whistler.

Getting very fit: extreme amounts of cycling and surfing are going to do that to you, not matter how many marshmallows you eat.

My birthday coming up: directly coincides with the Tofino food and wine festival – how lovely! If I'm very good, Rob says he'll buy my a bell for my bike :-)

What time is it? Tofino Time!

Life as in Whistler ended on Tuesday 24th April. A three hour delay on the highway resulted in me missing my flight to Calgary and enjoying two exits from Whistler as the bus came back to the village rather than be stationary behind the blockage. I was ready to go at the first exit and very ready to go at the second, even though I was able to have one last precious lunch at Sushi to Go...

I arrived in Calgary late that night and four nights, three days of not very much ensued: a replica, more or less, of my time there prior to Whistler and extremely pleasant. Mum and Dad were there and while the Garden Squad worked hard on Andrew's forthcoming patio, I mooched around avoiding garden centres as far as possible, cooked, ate a lot and marvelled at how much stuff I'd managed to accumulate in six short months.

Saturday 28th and I caught an early morning flight to Vancouver, armed with my new orange and pink wellingtons (for the rain in Tofino, I've justified) and a new laptop: my Acer Travelmate. The cheapest laptop available, and apparently designed with the traveller in mind (titanium frame etc etc). Its specs are all I need and I'm back in action as goes writing and photo storage – hurrah!

From Vancouver I took the Islandlink bus to Horseshoe Bay where I transferred to the BC Ferry service to Nanaimo. Having not been on a car ferry for some time I enjoyed marching around excitedly, making sure I didn't miss a thing and failing to resist over-priced fast food. It's an hour and a half crossing, which surprised me: Vancouver have some nerve calling it 'their' island. From Nanaimo add one four-hour bus journey, some of the largest trees I've ever seen in my life and a friendly Victorian (as in from Victoria, not some sort of ghost...) named Heather, who gave me lots of tips about life in Tofino, and I made it back to Rob, which was very welcome indeed. Five days apart felt like a lot longer; something to do with seeing each other almost every day all winter. I think.

Tofino is a small village, sitting remotely on a headland looking out onto the Clayquot Sound on one side, with random towering islands of thick green rainforest, and the open Pacific Ocean on the other side. It's all about surfing, fishing and whale watching here. Beaches stretch down the Pacific side, from Mackenzie beach nearest the village to the surfers' Long Beach nearer Ucluelet (39km from Tofino. I suggested cycling it the first day: Rob suggested this may be more Iron-Man Challenge than afternoon entertainment).

Our hostel is in the village centre, half an hour plus walk from the nearest beach, an hour walk from the nearest surfable beach (Chesterman). It's a cool set-up: basically somebody's house with two double rooms (ours is really cute, with lots of driftwood features and an en suite bathroom nicer than in some of the flats I've rented) and a bunkbed dorm room. There is a big kitchen, two lounge rooms, computer facilities and an extremely-friendly-but-slightly-smelly dog. Lots of people mill around but it has a really cosy feel.

We knew it already, but it became clear very early on that accommodation is desperate here. Almost every surf school, store, coffee house and restaurant is looking for staff, but none will hire without you having already secured accommodation. Tofino is fairly tiny and spare rooms just don't exist. We made posters selling ourselves as a 'clean, friendly couple', offering a generous sum, sticking them up on notice-boards around town, and have advertised in the Westerly News for a week. Staff housing seems to be the only way to go, but all the beach-front resorts ever seem to want are housekeeping staff: something we'll do if we have to. We embark on a cycle tour of all the resorts, enthusiastically handing in resumes and talking to the hirers, where possible.

The local gas station is hiring, also offering staff housing and we were given consecutive interviews with Linda the delightfully cute (in a farmer's wife sort of a way) manager. Linda confessed this was her first job as a manager, having been Assistant Manager for twelve years and that the education on our CVs was a little daunting. She seemed to like us though, and I think my ticket office experience was right up her street because she's taken us on. We have a good arrangement: I work full time (though less hours are available until the holiday season kicks off a couple of weeks from now) and Rob remains on-call to cover sickness and absence, leaving him free to work wherever else he chooses. We both get to live in the adjacent fixed trailer with the 17-year old nephew of the owner and his cat. Believe me, in Tofino terms, we're really lucky.

We'd both been in contact with the manager of one of the surf schools here, who seemed to value our initiative and experience at Whistler Blackcomb, and has offered us both jobs. While I'm tied to the gas station, Rob can work at the surf school – dealing with rentals and possibly as a lesson assistant (which won't require him to impossibly quickly obtain all the expensive certificates needed to teach). There is the possibility that if we manage to find private accommodation (I won't hold my breath) I can work at the surf school too. Who knows though – I may love the gas station...

I start training tonight. I ought to perm my hair and tumble-dry my jeans in anticipation.

All that we need now is our own surf gear and bikes (to be with added surfboard racks... an exciting contraption that makes transportation of gear a whole lot easier). We've been offered free mid-week rentals from the friendly surf school manager so tomorrow we plan to hit the beach early. Rob reckons he's going to teach me.

There are still thoughts of buying a car/van, which would free us up to seek better beaches and see a bit more of the Island.

We like wandering around the village and the beaches. Hours in the coffee shop. Crosswords and Cooking. Something of a change from Whistler.

Life in Tofino is looking good.

Exit Whistler

One dual-mountain retro pub crawl never to be forgotten

Last day of Whistler mountain: Princess gets the pink one-piece,

The Margarita Challenge (I didn't know I could drink slush so fast!)

The Uniforms go back:

TICKETS BARBIE

VALIDATION BARBIE

and my personal favourite...

SNOWBOARD SCHOOL BARBIE

What carries on:

Thank you for choosing Whistler Blackcomb

2006-2007

45 feet of snowfall

2 mountains

38 lifts

200+ runs

At long last, the final Whistler chapter...

Oh my, it has been a while, hasn't it!

I'm sorry: I entirely blame the death of my laptop. She and I were happily cruising the internet one day; chatting on messenger, possibly even playing some music when all of a sudden she made a feeble noise and the screen went black. That fateful day will always haunt me: it's a sadness I'll possibly never get over. And made exponentially worse by the obscene price of internet cafes here. All that overtime I worked doing 5am starts at the lift during the Canadian Championships will be cruelly chanelled into the pockets of Whistler's internet cafe tycoons.

There are two weeks left before Whistler mountain closes. All three of my jobs are for Whistler, not Blackcomb (despite the merger in the early 90s, employment remains separate) so I will be laid off. I put my name on the list for spring and summer jobs as I thought I would be staying here until at least June 3rd, when Blackcomb closes but my plans have changed recently.

To clear up any confusion, and if anyone is at all interested, my working week is now as follows:

Sunday - tickets, Monday - off, Tuesday - validation, Wednesday - validation, Thursday - off, Friday - tickets, Saturday - teaching little 'uns to snowboard

I will put a photographic uniform fashion parade up here at some point. Usually I lay out all my clothes the night before, as chances are if I left it to the morning I would do one of my classic alarm turn off manouvres, wake up 15 minutes before I am due to start and put on the wrong uniform.

The last couple of months have thrown me a lot of challenges; namely professional situations turning personal. Never before have I been involved in so much conflict in the workplace. I can only reassure myself that although it has made me unpopular at times, I have always used one set of rules, done my job the way I was trained (it wasn't hard, after all) and stuck to my guns when I think someone needs to be told. At least I know who my true friends are now. And they are all superstars.

Teaching kids has been an eye-opener too. I have never even baby sat children. Imagine baby sitting, but throw in the snowboarding aspect... they fall over. A lot. They cry, they whinge, they make things up. One of my students - 7 years old - told me he had a bloody ankle (not true), his foot was going to come out of his boot or his leg was going to come out of its socket on the chairlift (definitely not true), he didn't feel 'well in head' and he couldn't breathe. I ended up having to carry him, his board and my own down the remainder of the ski slope. The sheer size of the mountain means negotiating it with a bunch of children on a schedule is a constant exercise in judgement and planning. But the fun parts really do make up for it and I love hanging out with them.

Scanning children at the lift means I get full exposure to the names parents use in this country. i have a list at home which I add to almost daily. For example; Mcintyre, Piper, Emerald, Jackson, Griffin, Saxon, Jericho, Sydney, Mackenzie, Dragon, Axel.... and so many more.

I will leave Whistler on 24th April for Calgary, and travel from Calgary to Vancouver on 28th in order to catch the bus to Tofino (7 hours). Rob will already be in Tofino at that point. I have an informal interview lined up for front-line/rental at a surf school. The manager has told me that he pretty much has a job for anyone who can find accomodation, so it seems that may be a bit of a challenge. Being there with Rob will hopefully make that a little easier, or cheaper at least.

So two more weeks and lots of goodbyes.

Hopefully it won't be so long before I update this again. Maybe with some photos.

Laura xx

Two months gone but two more to treasure

AUSTRALIA 1, SCOTLAND 0

OK so I virtually forgot about Burns Night. I’m a bad Scot. The chances of finding a haggis in Whistler would be slim to none anyway. Australia day, however, was big news. Bigger in Whistler than it is in actual Australia, apparently. There was a lot of face paint and nakedness on their part, and ridiculously long line-ups for all the clubs. I spent it with a few choice Aussies in a lesser populated bar where we drank (and spilt) a lot of martinis.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ONESIES

Vintage one-piece ski suits never fail to amuse here in Whistler. I am still yet to procure mine from the Re-Use-It Centre (giant op-shop) for fancy dress purposes, but when validating tickets I never tire of checking out the old timers’ gear.

STILL WAITING TO SKATE

I thought I was onto something when temperatures plummeted and stayed low a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it lasted a few days short of being able to skate on the lakes. I did two days snowboarding in temperatures of around -22oC, which meant lots of warm-up breaks to thaw out my toes.

I now ride in my lovely new snowboard boots – bought with the extra money I earned working far too much over Christmas and New Year. I tried on every pair of girls’ boots in my size in Whistler before I settled on a pair – 13 different types in the end.

THE SNOWIEST SKI RESORT IN THE WORLD

Our snowbase is floating around the 3m mark and dumps of 20cm are not uncommon. There has been record snowfall since November 1st. Season pass holders for other Intrawest resorts suffering from lack of snow have been offered free skiing at Whistler Blackcomb to compensate.

Dude, where’s my car?: rumour has it this is a vehicle parked by my front door

That said, we’ve not had any new snow in several days now. Luckily it’s cold enough at nights for snow-making, and the sun has been shining which makes for a fantastic day riding. I saw a lifty wearing a t-shirt on one of the t-bars 2000m up yesterday.

SCREEN IDOL

I set myself up with a day filming as an extra on the TV series ‘Whistler’ earlier this month. Think Hollyoaks in a Canadian ski resort. As yet, I haven’t seen the programme, because my navigation of Whistler cable TV and its multiple time zones hasn’t improved any and I just haven’t come across it.

There was a lot of hanging around – it was a thirteen hour day. You’ll see me in the background in a variety of hats and scarves (apparently it makes you look like a different person) partaking in such things as: throwing an old snowboard onto a bonfire (remember the Ullr party from my November blog?), taking photos of an imaginary heartthrob on a half-pipe, carrying a box of beer on the way to a party, drinking coffee outside a cafe (it was -10oC) and lots of walking back and forth across the plaza.

The episode(s?) will be screened at the end of May, so I intend to get up-to-speed with ‘Whistler’ by then. I also intend to make sure I get it on tape for the grandkids.

ALL CHANGE

My flatmate Emma leaves for sunny Mexico in two weeks, and my roommate Ange leaves to start her job back in Melbourne not long after. Others have already left, and the list of those leaving in late February or March is getting longer all the time.

I am now re-assessing work, as I feel more than a little worn out by the tedious issues of tickets and validation and very ready for a change. I’m considering taking my Level 1 snowboard instructor course in the next month or two and I’ve discussed the possibility of moving into Lift Operations, though the drop in pay puts me off.

I’m starting to think what is going to happen after the season too. Mum and Dad are coming out to Canada for a couple of weeks at the end of April, so I’ll have some family time before I start the next part. It’s still looking like Vancouver, and as I’ve heard there is a lot of extra work to be had there, I’m wondering if I can make a living from it for the summer.

Rob deserves a mention, mostly for his pink Dave Murray signature one-piece, but primarily because we spend a lot of time together. He’s from Brisbane and he works as a lifty on the Creekside gondola where I check tickets. What can I say except watch this space...

It's that time of year

Mistletoe and Wine

Christmas is only a few days away. I’ll be working right through as if it was any other week. Thousands of guests will arrive, after the relative calm of the past few weeks. Although with 58cm of beautiful snow overnight last week, I now know the potential for mania at work in the mornings. We had our staff Christmas party last night – one of four laid on at the Fairmont Chateau with some of the best tasting food I think I’ve ever had, photos with Santa and taxi vouchers for the end of the night. Safe to say it was a brilliant night out.

The tickets crew

All work and no play would make Laura a dull girl

Work is feeling less novelty and more like work nowadays. There is always something that needs done. Whether or not I can be bothered that day is another matter. Information, prices and policies are constantly changing too, which makes it hard to keep up. I have fallen on my feet in that my job is completely unique and it suits me. I work two days in tickets, three validation at the moment, or vice versa. Validating is the easier of the two and it is nice to have the chance to talk to everyone, but two or three days standing outside is about my tolerable limit. Tickets is more intellectually stimulating, but at the time same faffing with drawers of cash and sales reports can be very tedious in large amounts.

Surviving validating all day outside in temperatures of -17oC a couple of weeks back was a touch challenging. Toes were nearly lost and I’m not joking. We should have another cold snap to look forward to in January.

Me trying to keep warm at work. Showing no skin helps.

I’m trying to balance work with the fun stuff and don’t seem to be doing too badly. I can’t remember a time I didn’t get up at 6am now. Hangover or not, and whether I’ve been up until 2am or not. Days off are too precious to waste and going to the slopes late (N.B. 9am is late….oh how things have changed) is just not the done thing.

I usually manage to get out boarding three or four days a week and had some amazing days out. I rode (well, slid) my first black runs with Joey, who distracted me so I looked the other way as we were passing by the black diamond signs at the top of the run.

I took a full day lesson last Monday, in a blizzard. I’d been out the night before, up at 6am for Fresh Tracks with Ange and Kate, unlimited early breakfast at the Roundhouse Lodge, 1800m up Whistler mountain with first access to the slopes…only $15.

Kate, Ange and I: Prior to stuffing ourselves with pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns, pastries, fruit…..to the point of nearly vomiting and not being able to ski

Two super-cute Japanese girls, Maki and Aya, took our lesson and had us boarding down steep powdery slopes, through trees and over small jumps/drops. It was fantastic, but on 4 hours sleep and a hangover, my energy was fading by the afternoon and I spent most of my time flailing pathetically, stuck in waist-deep powder.

Open-air Hot Tubs

What more could you want really? Adrienne and Tracy scored one with their new place and love having friends round to share it.

Adrienne, Carlene and I. After half an hour my face was as pink as my wine and I had to get out and sit down for a while.

First Visitor!

My friend Paul from school visited for a few days as a stop on the tail end of his round the world trip and I hope I gave him a decent taste of Whistler life. He spent most of his time in pain after trying snowboarding for the first time: one day in a lesson and one day with me attempting to teach. I dragged him out of bed at 6am for fresh tracks breakfast after a hefty night out at the infamous Longhorn Saloon. He didn’t seem entirely impressed, but when in Whistler…!

Writing No More

My effort to write for the local paper ended before it started – the one article idea I sent the editor was entirely ignored. Back to the drawing board!

Disneyland

Whistler is amazing. Just in case I haven’t made that clear.

Work and Play the Whistler Way

FIRST DAY BOARDING!

Lyndsey and I about to get on the Whistler Gondola. 8.30am.

I am writing tired and slightly damaged but very happy after my first day on the slopes. I surprised myself by being much better than I was expecting, which I credit to the excellent runs and conditions. I was linking turns fairly easily and preferring blue runs by the end of the day. I know what I need to work on and it’s reassuring to know there will be plenty of days to do so. My new equipment is all fantastic: everything I’ve bought (and been given) is just right.

After trying to teach Emma at the top of the hill (her first time) we ended up sending her back in the gondola to get a lesson which worked out really well for her. Lyndsey, Ange and I rode together all day as we were about the same ability.

There were loads of us out today, and although we kept losing people on the hill we were never far from a familiar face, as only Whistler mountain was open, and only from so far up the hill because of the limited snow in the valley (we had to download on the gondola at the end of the day).

We got our 50% staff discount at the restaurant at the top of the hill for lunch, and the day didn’t cost a penny otherwise.

UNEMPLOYMENT NO MORE

I started work on Saturday: early opening day for Whistler mountain (Blackcomb opens 23rd November). I’d like to say it was well planned and enjoyable, but in reality it was daunting and hectic. There were forty odd people waiting outside the ticket office as I arrived for work at 7am on Saturday. Guest services had queues (sorry – line ups…) with two hours wait at points.

It wouldn’t have been as bad if I was just expected to be a ticket host full stop. But in the back of my mind all the time, as I watched Keryn, who worked in the ticket office last year and has returned as a Senior Host this year, I felt ever so slightly overwhelmed at the thought of attempting to be senior with procedures I know very little about. Cashing up and running all the reports at the end of the day was mind boggling to say the least. My till was only 10c under, 5c of which I recovered the next day, which was a relief. Unfortunately if any of the hosts tills are over or short, it’s up to me to work out why. I haven’t worked any shifts as a Validator yet either (potentially this Friday), and I’ll be stepping in as a Senior Host in Validation too in no time. I realize, however, that I’m in the steepest part of the learning curve, and that it will get easier….

All the training we’d received about being friendly and chatty went fairly amiss as I realized nobody actually wants to be buying a ticket (and they almost always whinge about the price. Come on, 8,171 acres, 38 lifts and 200+ runs!!). Therefore nobody is keen to indulge in chit-chat. They see you as the thing holding up them getting on the hill.

And the early mornings. Oh my god. My alarm was set for 6am on Saturday and 5.45am on Sunday. Five days a week I’ll be getting up that time. I suppose it made it easier to get up at 7am to go boarding this morning though.

ULLR: MASTER OF SKIING AND GENERAL SUAVITY

The mountain held a party for Ullr, the Norse God of snow (obviously a natural on skis) last week. There was a giant bonfire, on which miniature skis were sacrificed in order to encourage Ullr to make snow. Ironically they had trouble lighting the bonfire as it was snowing and had been all afternoon. Vast amounts of fuel were used, and many ski jackets were singed as the fire roared.

As with many Whistler activities, it was impressive: burgers, hot chocolate and fruit cider for staff pass holders, and a miniature ski to throw on the fire upon donation to the local food bank. I met the local carpenter who carved all the skis. Three hundred of them. He said it was worth it if people enjoyed themselves.

I’M SORRY, I DIDN’T GET THAT…

In the UK when I needed to check the balance or top up my pay-as-you-go mobile it was simply a case of punching in a few numbers. For some reason, networks here supply a very friendly virtual assistant (called Melanie on the Rogers network) who is meant to understand what you ask her. Unfortunately Melanie isn’t too good with overseas accents. I often here people repeating insistently “account balance!” into their phone, to which Melanie replies “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that….”. And it goes on.

Time has told that the best way to deal with Melanie is to put on your best Canadian/American accent, particularly when dictating the 14 digit pin number on top up vouchers to her. It does actually work and I don’t even try my normal accent any more.

MONEY FOR MY RAMBLINGS??

My meeting with the editor of the local paper went well and we discussed two story ideas he’d be interested in. I learned that there is considerable financial reward for features published, which is incentive and a half. I just need to write them now, which is proving a lot harder now that work and snowboarding have been added to sleeping and skating.

POUTINE

Chips, cheese and gravy. Lovely.

THE INTRAWEST GUEST SERVICE ‘MANTRA’: READ IT AND WEEP

Recently helpfully provided laminated on a lanyard for us to wear and presumably consult in times of need.

We are excited to be here. Our enthusiasm for the mountains is reflected in our passion for exceptional service. Our guests are impressed. They feel welcomed by our friendly and knowledgeable staff. Our team shares ideas and communicates effectively. We celebrate our successes together.

SURPRISE NEWS FROM HOME

My uncle got married in secret. Well I never.