Lazy Thursday

I got my first rejection as apartment applicant. It sucks. I was pretty sold out with the third one. But I guess it wasn't for me.

So, the hunt for the nest continues. But before that I took a pause and went city sightseeing again yesterday.

Target: Winnipeg Art Gallery and Thai cuisine for dinner.

I took the #18-Jefferson bus from downtown to get to my planned destination. But I was mistaken, WAG is south-bound and not north-bound. I end up stepping inside Manitoba Museum but they close at 4:00pm. So I cross the Main Street and hop in the next #18 - Corydon bound bus. I silently asked the driver if he can drop me off the nearest bus stop to WAG. I asked silently because I don't want the other "downtowners" to know that I'm clueless. My self-confidence wasn't all out that moment. Then I sat down near the rear door of the bus, and viola when I'm about to arrive at the bus stop, the driver announces: Winnipeg Art Gallery! Ha! Thanks, now all eyes were on me. Then he asked if I was a Filipino, turns out kababayan ko pala ang driver. Well, manong salamat! And then i excitedly took off and walk towards the gallery.

Gees, chilly chilly afternoon.

And so for $8 I wandered and warmed myself up in the three floor gallery of WAG. At this time, the following are in exhibition: The Ruby Ashdown Porcelain Collection. It was quite interesting to know that Chinese has a big influence in European porcelain design in the 18th and 19th century. And with that learning, it might bring me to a few more minutes of stop in front of a collection the next time I see porcelains in an antique shop. With questions at the back of my mind, are these Eastern or Western originals? Originals meaning where they were made and not necessarily "original design ideas". Then, there's the Tony Scherman paintings. A contemporary artist tap on pop culture, still life and experimented in abstract and still life. I particularly like is painting of his wife, Margaret. But my first stop was at the mezzanine floor where Richard Harrington's photography exhibit are on display. He immersed himself for more than a decade in the Inuit community and culture and captured their way of life, values and traditions in photographs. Looking at all those photos made me shiver by the thought of how cold it is at the Artic regions of Canada.

After warming up at the gallery I decided it's about time to grub on Thai cuisine.

I went to River Avenue and Osborne St to finally dine in at Bangkok Thai Restaurant. I am dumbfounded when I step inside the bilding looking for the restaurant. Seems like I was in a maze as I took steps down and up and down and up again until I found in on the second floor. It was decent, welcoming and warm. I sat at the table over-looking the very corner of Osborne St and River Avenue and excitedly browse through their menu and finally place my order of Satay Chicken with peanut sauce, Prawns in Red Curry and Steamed Rice in Coconut milk. As expected I was asked how spicy I want my curry, and to help me out the server offered to use the 1 to 5 scale. I underestimated my guts and told him 3. Modest I may say since I have a high tolerance for spiciness. The food arrives and viola I am in a very hungry happy mood. Thai food is one of my favorites cuisines. The spices they use opens up my taste buds for a whole new experience every time. With basil, ginger, curry, peanuts, lemon, lemon grass and of course chili peppers any food they serve me can become my comfort food. I didn't order Tom Yum for last night but I'm sure will be coming back for that. And I am still in search of the Mango/catfish Salad. I am sure my former officemate Bianca would have love this place!

The night is young (and so is me) and I thought of warming myself up again after walking down the street of River Ave and head straight to Starbucks and grab a tall Dark Cherry Hot Chocolate. I was secretly wishing that I had different reason earlier on why i found myself on that street. That instead of picking up the check I deposited for the apartment application, I was there to pick up the keys of my new apartment. But He has other plans I thought. And I have no reason to doubt that He has something more suitable in store for me. And I am patiently waiting on that. So we'll watch out on what I am about to find soon! But for now let's savor the moment like you would a Hot Chocolate on a windy, chilly Winter-peg night.

The One

I may or may not have found the one. I am currently deciding on downtown living. I viewed a bachelor unit on River Avenue earlier today and quite frankly I am both excited and anxious about moving out and living on my own!.

Big words - living on my own. Paying my own rent, budgetting my paycheck, buy groceries and fill up the cupboards with goodies I might actually crave for at the middle of the night and that includes Lucky Me instant pancit canton (hot & spicy flavor). The suite is decent, clean, newly renovated and newly painted, new bathtub and lots of storage areas and did I mention my own furnished kitchen. Sounds like a good deal eh? My cousin and I think the same thing too. My mind is restless, I might actually end up living downtown. We'll see by Monday, we're dropping by again to see the unit after the renovations and hand in my application. If all goes well and if it's God willing, my Canadian Living is moving on a new level!. On my own.

Back to blog entry number one

Usually, the first blogger's blog is all about themselves. I said, usually. But I am no first timer in blogging, and for sure no one is really interested to know about me anyway. You must be just some random person who has nothing else to do but surf the web not during your leisure hours but while at work, probably while in a meeting that is keeping you bored.

Anyhow, this my nth entry after a looong time. Since I got to Winter-peg, I've never really had time to type away and click post on this site. Well, for one I have no personal computer when I got here seven months ago and when I want to blog it's not between the hours of 9-6 (which was my office hours and social networking time too!) which is the most appopriate time to barge in my cousin's room and while my time time away. And then I got this lappy on 11/27 but still hasn't blogged anything yet, well, all because I was working my cute ass off with two jobs. Yes, two. But you might say if there's a will, there's a way. Yeah, right. But you make it sound like it is my obligation to blog, which is not. So, I'll just tell you the truth. I am no blogger (even if I blog). So I just didn't blog.

Yet, I remember having this conversation with my friend back home. And I kind of told her that to keep my homies updated of the "adventure" I was about to embark on I will continue on blogging those "future adventure" stuffs. But I didn't. I couldn't blame myself (of course I will not blame myself!), after the day trip to "The Forks" a few days after I arrived in Winterpeg and more day trips to the shopping malls (yes, you read it right) I thought that was the end of the adventure. Then I got the jobs. Oh boy, day and night I am working. Sunday is like a holiday. I always look forward it. But I don't just lie in bed and catching up on sleep, I went around the city, hopping from one bus to another. Sipping Starbucks gourmet coffee that I didn't made. It was and will always be my "Me Time". Then I go home, tired then sleep then wake up the next morning and the week rolls again.

After six months of doing just about that - work, Sunday, work. I am starting to get weary and losing the enthusiam of working my cute ass off. Yes, there was enthusiam. Now, it is barely there.

But your dearest me is not made for that. I am vibrant, fun, lively and ever adventurous. So, when I turned 27 two weeks ago I tried skating. And I felt like I found myself again. There I feel the rush on every slide and glide. At every fall, I rise up and take another glide. On each rise from about hmm too many to mention falls my confidence builds up. And I said to myself, Winterpeg found its way to my heart. And let the blogging of this Canadian Living begins!