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 :-)