Four months just flew me by and its time to say goodbye to the University of Alberta and Edmonton! It was really just yesterday when the minus 30 degrees hit me in the face and the camera was so cold that it couldnt function.. I remembered the first night where we couldnt even make it to the traffic junction as it was too cold for us!
And so its just about right that I chronicle the past 4 months in this post.. the things that were not said and the pictures that were not posted would all be up here!
DEPARTURE and ARRIVAL into EDMONTON
Leaving home for 6 months was never gonna be easy! Though I put up a smiley face here, I was choked with emotions here with great friends and family sending me off, i was so touched. I never knew that so many people would send me off. I really felt loved. Thank God.
DEPARTURE and ARRIVAL into EDMONTON
Leaving home for 6 months was never gonna be easy! Though I put up a smiley face here, I was choked with emotions here with great friends and family sending me off, i was so touched. I never knew that so many people would send me off. I really felt loved. Thank God.
Arriving was a huge shock to our body systems! From tropical Singapore to Frosty Edmonton of minus 30 degrees! Even my mucus would freeze! Here the camera froze, my oakleys froze too! This was outside the hostel we stayed in the first 3 days.
SHIFTING INTO NEW HOMEWhen we shifted into ECV, it was such a torture! With all the luggage in tow,we had to lug it through knee-deep snow and it was so COLD!
But we made light of it and had snow fights!
The house was totally EMPTY.HAHA.. we just threw everything on the floor and we bought all household items from scratch. From Dollarama!
Cooking was an integral part of our lives! To save money we cooked almost daily except the weekends and special occasions. Jo brought the rice cooker from Singapore and each of us had sauces packed from our mums and herbal packs!
Cooking was an integral part of our lives! To save money we cooked almost daily except the weekends and special occasions. Jo brought the rice cooker from Singapore and each of us had sauces packed from our mums and herbal packs!This was the kitchen.. we experimented with baking, frying.. you name it, we did it!
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SAMPLE OF THE FOOD WE COOKED!
Our standard protocol is to have one soup, one veg and one meat per meal!
And we cooked both chinese and western food! During this time, we really missed Singapore food and home-cooked food!
Soup
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Vegetable: Oyster Sauce Kailan!
Mapo Tofu with Minced Meat!
Teriyaki Chicken!
Pasta and Pizza!
Keep the best for last: This is my master piece! Fish in Chilli crab sauce. Formula is really simple: Mix chilli sauce and ketchup, then beat few eggs into it.. It really tastes like the real thing!
We bought our own mattresses and bedsheets! We slept on sleeping bags on the first week and broke our backs (pun intended). IT cost $50CAD!!! Pretty pricey!
We used t-shirts as pillow case. Poor Students!
School: University of Alberta
This was in school with the two school mascots! GUBA and Patches.
At the iconic Butterdome where all the sports takes place.
Watching volleyball, basketball and ice hockey games in the Main Gymnasium.
Eating Cabana E sucre! The hot maple syrup poured on crushed ice! Its a French Canadian traditional thing.
Singaporean Society at U of A
The Singaporean Society was a real blessing that chanced upon us (yes u read it right). One night as we were walking back to ECV, two Singaporean girls, Lynette and Caelyn overheard our conversations and found that our Singlish gave ourselves away and told us to join them at the Society for their gatherings!
And what a blast it has been! Multiple makan gatherings (Chianti, Buddy, Sai Woo, Brewsters, KEG) Sports Sunday (At butterdome) and Jasper Trip!
This was at Phily's house.. we were watching the olympics opening ceremony!
At Buddy's having reunion dinner on CNY Eve!
Sports Sunday!
We played sports like basketball, frisbee, badminton and volleyball! They were all fun-filled games at the butterdome!
Friends: Glen Flach and Sarah Balla
I really want to thank God for these two Canadian friends that im close to. I knew Glen through Ecology Lab as he's my lab partner! He's such an easy-going guy with no airs. Even though he is so knowledgable and has a degree already (pursuing his 2nd one). And he doesnt discriminate. We have alot to talk about and he offered to bring me to visit his farm which was an awesome trip. He's a great friend.
Sarah Balla is another awesome friend of mine! In fact, she's the first friend that i've made in Canada and we met through genetics lecture! She initiated the conversation and I found out she did an exchange in Australia! She's also a PE teacher and she also teaches Biology.. So exact same combination as me! She's really into sports too, especially softball! She brought me to church, taught me to drink half coffee half french vanilla for tim hortons! We also went to Earls' to try the iceberg slush + beer!
SPORTS IN CANADA
I played and tried many sports in Canada! Im truly blessed.
Here's Kinsmen sports centre which I frequent every monday night to play the winter league Ulitmate frisbee league. Team 6 emerged as Champions!
Played outdoor ultimate at Hawrelak Park!
Snowshoeing at Athbasca Falls
Cross-Country Skiing at Strathcona Wilderness Centre
Snowboarding at Snow Valley
Biking on ice at North Sasketchwan River
Shooting in Opal, Glen's Farm
PLACES that we VISTED!
1. JASPER NATIONAL PARK (Twice! Once in Winter and once in Spring!)
This was with the Singaporean Society people and we did biking there!
This was with the Singaporean Society people and we did biking there!
It was a beautiful place to bike.. exploring all the lakes..
We had ICE-CREAM!
BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Lake Louise is the only mention-worthy place that I would put up on this post and it was really beautiful!
CALGARY
We went to Calgary during reading week and gosh, it was the best week of our lives! We were so well taken care of by Derek and Carol to the point that Im embarrassed. They are so nice to us and we really felt loved there. We bought them a cake on Valentine's day and also dinner on the last night!
DRUMHELLER
This was abit boring except with the landscape pictures were pretty interesting!
And the bus ride was horrendous!
DRIVING IN CANADA
Driving on the left hand side of the road has brought its fair share of laughs and scares! I got onto the wrong side of the road in Calgary downtown once and saw oncoming cars to my horror! HAHA..
Drove Glen's Manual 4WD truck! IT was a real experience to drive manual on left hand drive.
