woohoo!

Been a while, I know! Let’s start with Nickie’s birthday. Besides the fact that she was showered with gifts we had a pretty laid back time.
:)

It all started with the best meal I’ve had in a restaurant for a while. Taste, presentation, everything was perfect!

To start with Nickie had smoked salmon with Welsh oatcakes, sour cream, lemon & chives while I opted for rarebit topped Overton black pudding on a Welsh oatcake with beetroot relish. DELICIOUS! Just try and imagine the rest of the meal! All this thanks to the Cross Foxes, one of the great pubs in our area!

Party!!

Sue, a wonderful person I used to work with decided to throw a party to celebrate me leaving or getting a new job, depending how you see things. and what a party it was!
As some people know, I’m more of a small crowd kind of person so I’m always a bit nervous when things that are mean for me get a bit out of control. My mum could tell you about a few rows about birthday parties..

But this party was perfect! Though I was happy that so many people talked about wanting to come, I was quite pleased when only 3 of my favourites people first turned up:
Sue, Martin and Joy!
Sue, Martin and Joy

I really like Sue. She’s the first person I remember meeting after my boss. She was in a tiny office the size of my home office and was smiling and I immediately thought she looked like the kind of person I’d get a long with. She helped me quite a bit at work with all sorts of stuff and is the person I most consider as a friend. Then, there is Martin! Always up for a laugh, I always used to tease him for being a Liverpool fan, which is really one of the only faults I can see in him. albeit a major one. We had a great time last time we went out and with him around, I knew we’d have lots of fun. Also, as everyone knows, I quite like the ladies but it’s nice to have at least 1 other bloke to chat with in the whole department…
AND JOY!
She’s really funny. She can turn a comment into a whole conversation. Add the Birkenhead accent and you’ve got hours of fun! Obviously, being from Quebec, I am easily amused by the local accents but Joy is really great to have around and is the other character with who I went out last time so I was expecting quite an event and I was not disappointed!

A lovely touch was that m y Tae Kwon Do coach, Dave Baker, came ALL the way from Crewe just to have a drink or two.

And then all hell broke loose.

After a nice little meal (burgers) at Wrexham’s Chicago Rock, Sue noticed that the alcohol was 2 for 1!

drinks!

So we did lots of drinking and lots of dancing to tunes of the 70’s and 80’s with some recent stuff. Some tunes were repeated, but when they are your favorite, it doesn’t matter really, does it?
:)

And then, MORE FRIENDS!
The girls
Vivien came with her girl Helena and Gemma, a really nice girl and very good actress as far as I’m concerned. Helena is very good too, I must say. Vivien is quite cool. She believes in using her energy only when it matters which means that you never see her run around like a headless chicken. Which is a quality I appreciate because stressed people make me stressed and when that happens I start getting annoyed, etc. So overall, Vivien is quite good to have around. I also learned a lot from looking at her work. She’s not one that goes on and on about anything, but if you just look at how she does things and notice (as she rarely does anything for nothing) you’ll learn too! Which sometimes leads to funny situation where we notice her trying to pull her “mind control” tricks on us.
;)

Anyways. I like her lots.
:)

We danced, drank and had lots of fun. As far as I remember anyways..
Because when the clock struck midnight, it all went funny in my head, mainly thanks to this character!
Martin!
After drinking a few bottles of wine, I remember having him making taste sambucas which I don’t like because they are sticky and taste like liquorice which I don’t like either.
But apparently, he had me down SEVERAL Double Jack Daniels and Coke!
I definitely don’t remember that.
Anyways..

It ended up with me in bed until 9pm the next day. (9PM, yes) which is a bit of a shame. But all in all, I had a great time surrounded by really nice people and I’d like to thank them all for the night and everything else they did for me.

Martin, you are so ****** next time we go out, believe me.
You won’t remember what you’ll have taken either!
:P

where's the craic?

Me!
Last weekend, Nickie and I went to Dublin in what seems to be an endless extravaganza and build-up in what should be a glorious day tomorrow: NICKIE’s BIRTHDAY!!

We were meant to go camping at Brecon Beacons but for all sorts of reasons decided to post-pone that and go to Dublin instead.

It was quite exciting I must say. We left very early on a foggy morning, driving through Clywd, Denbighshire, Flintshire and finally arriving at 7:30 in Holyhead, Anglesey to take the ferry.

That was an exciting thing for me to do, as I’d never been on a ferry like this before.

The first was a high-speed ferry called the Dublin Swift!
And it was VERY FAST!
Took about 90 minutes to cross from Wales to Ireland!

It wasn’t overly comfortable but there was everything we needed on board to pass time for the short journey. I must admit it made me feel a bit ill at times though.

Then came Dublin.

Dublin I must admit was a bit of a disappointment, for me at least.

I don’t enjoy going to the pub and drink so the famous pubs are of very little interest to me.

Architecturally, Nickie and I thought it was a bit boring.

The parks were really nice and there were loads.

But the one thing that struck me is how much of a “city” it is in its feel.

Loads of people just running around, lots of homeless and beggars and not many people smiling. It’s “exactly” the same size as Montreal but seemed to have let go all the charm and personality often associated to the Irish. A few times Nickie asked me if I felt like I was more in a part of Britain or Europe and the answer was without a doubt: this is Britain.

I’d like to say that I’m not into comparisons. But the following will probably prove the contrary.

In Quebec and Wales, the presence of French and Welsh respectively is omnipresent and dominant. Oddly enough, we found quite a few signs that were English only. Also, we didn’t hear any Irish. I can even hear Welsh spoken in Wrexham which is quite multicultural in it’s own ways and is just next to the English borders! The other day, I was warming up m y local Tae Kwon Do lesson and 3 students out of 6 decided to count in Welsh! It thought it was quite funny. Also, the approach here is quite simple. In lots of primary schools, the children are NOT TAUGHT ENGLISH until they are 7 years old. So they go to pre-school, reception up to year 3 learning and speaking Welsh. Even in Morgan Clywd High School, if an ad is to be posted (in this case for Tae Kwon Do lessons) the ad needs to be mainly in Welsh or not be put up at all.

Quebec, Wales and parts of Northern Ireland are all trying to get more independence from the greater government above them. I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not the fact that there was some level of intrusion from another culture was the reason behind the fact that the local cultures I’ve mentioned are all quite upfront in defending it. Which leads to another question: did Ireland lose it’s cultured by winning its independence? A bit like in Scotland where it’s not an easy feat to find someone who can still speak Gaelic!

Anyways, to cut this short, language is the most important aspect of culture and I was quite disappointed to see how “international” Dublin had become.

We then went back on another ferry, which was VERY nice. Very spacious and luxurious looking. And it was so stable! We didn’t even know we were moving! I was very impressed.

My host, Vinnie is setting up a web gallery facility created by our friend Eivind called Passion. so soon, I’ll be posting more pictures of all our recent trips!

Happiness is a Bonsai!

This is my bonsai.
I called it “Daniel-San!” And I must admit that it keeps me very busy these days. It’s funny how something so little and simple can distract us so much. I’ve been going on forums like mad, trying to learn the best ways to ensure a good, long life for it, the different styling techniques, etc. I find it one of the most interesting things I’ve had in a while! Considering that I’m a bit of a shopaholic, that’s a pretty bold statement! But I just like looking at it and caring for it. Trimming it is very relaxing. I think everyone should have a bonsai. People would be less in a hurry, but that could be just another of my crazy ideas..

Of baths and castles..

Before writing this, I must have spent the last 30 minutes adding boiling water to the bath using a kettle because our boiler is broken. Nickie quite looking forward to a bath even if she kept going on about how long it would take etc, I decided to give my best effort in order to give her the chance to enjoy a cool rather than freezing cold bath. About 10 1.5liter kettles later and not much difference in temperature, Nickie did her best to show her appreciation.

But really, I hope we can repair the bloody thing by tomorrow..

Now if you’re wondering where I got the costume, it was at Bodelwyddan Castle!

Went there with a few good looking people, myself included of course, and enjoyed an alright tour of the place. Personally, I find it a bit disappointing that they decide to give people audio guides rather than having actually people to interact with. After two rooms of listening to this annoying thing talking in my ear as I was walking around like a pillock looking upwards as the voice of my “200 year old guide” was going on for what seemed forever, I decided it was more entertaining to watch other people walk around, this big red thing stuck to their heads, occasionally giggling either due to the commentary or the fact that they probably thought that everyone else looked a bit silly. I would much rather talk to someone with extensive knowledge of the place, a bit like I did when I went on a tour at 221b Baker Street or the Warwick Castle. Fair enough, not all guides are as interested in their subject, but the few that are make it most interesting.

Then we went around an ugly and unkept garden, went into this weird hut called a “Bird Hide". The name did make sense as not a bird could be seen around. Though apparently, it’s for you to hide in, giving you a better chance to observe the creatures, so they say.

We also went into a Butterfly Glade. There were no butterflies of course. Why else would they call it that? (sic)

The most amusing part of the castle visit, after the fact that I was offered to eat a tasteless baked potato with a spoon, was that we played a giant game of chess. Not feeling like thinking too hard, I decided to play the part of, alternatively, a bishop and a rook. (Is that how they call the tower/castle thing?) My-sister-in-law is obviously a horse, the hands being the hooves her as she is prancing on her hind legs. Bit like the Ferrari logo. see it now?

We then left for what Nickie and I love best: wandering around the shops!
A good day on the whole. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better!

Sweet and Sour..

Ahh.. life at his ways..
I was originally writing to say how much of a good time we’re having these days. but things have gone a bit twisted.. anyways…

First of all, ME!
;)

I’m quite excited about the new job I’m starting, I must say. More responsibilities, more pay, more working with young people, which will help with my degree, which is really one of the main reasons why I left the other job. Fair enough. it’s not a permanent contract, but since I’ve moved to the UK, things haven’t gone exactly to plan. they’ve been even better!

So I’ll take my chances and cross the bridge next year when I come to it!
Who knows!? Maybe they’ll get more money and I’ll be able to continue! Also, my new employers have already arranged for me to get extra training and are going to have me work on a specially funded project, which I’m really excited with!
:)

Obviously, there will be some challenges. In my previous job, I was thought to share the least possible with school staff as, well, they could find what I say generally offensive.
:S

The first thing that was always asked of me when doing observations was to do an “classroom environment” survey and go through a “Quality First Teaching” checklist. Then I’d come back to the office and say if there is anything in how the teacher teached that might have influenced the child’s behaviour. This obviously wouldn’t go down to well if I was working in a school, specially as quite a few teachers don’t seem to appreciate the inclusion efforts of the government and would take exception to me telling them that the way they teach is actually driving my mentee mad and that it’s making me twitch as well..

I’m also used to be able to go into my boss’s office and say exactly what I think about anything without having to worry because not only could she take it on the chin, but if I was wrong, she could tell me and why, etc. If I was right, she would also tell me and give me the straight facts about why things are happening in such a way.
I’ll miss Sue.
:(

So yeah, I’ll have to learn to adapt my ways. For a while, anyways..

Then there is Nickie!

My wonderful darling managed to get a promotion and left her job the exact same day I was leaving!
:D
(Aren’t we the better couple?)

She’s doing vaguely the same thing she used to but for better pay.

Ahh.. I see you thinking?!

No more debts in Canada…
I get a raise..
Nickie gets a raise..

WE WILL BE RICH!!

Well.. no.
First week of new pays in effect and what happens?

OUR BOILER BREAKS!
No heating, no hot water and.. a bank holiday.
Which means that there is n o way I’m calling for a repairman who will come in smiling because he’ll get to charge me double the price he would usually.

It’s spring anyways..so we are quite comfortable and we can always go and take our showers at the gym, which we usually do anyways.

RIGHT!
But let’s not fall into doom and gloom!
Almost 2 years since I’ve been on this little island and things keep getting better! And I trust it will continue for a while, so I’m not worried!

This week should still be fun. We’re going to plan our garden and stuff and go to Dublin!
:)

Keep ya posted..

Give the man an OBE!

I’m not known to be a really big “fan” of bands, celebrities, etc. I am of course a massive fan of Jacques Villeneuve , a F1 racing driver that was born in the same town I was and who’s resilience and fighting spirit I truly admire. But there is one more person that I will say I truly admire and that I am a huge fan of and that’s Jamie Oliver!
JAMIE!!!

Brought to fame because of the Naked Chef TV series this young man from Essex (he’s 1y and a half older than me and worth £17millions more..) is a true model when it comes to using his celebrity status to help other people. Recently, he set up a restaurant in the East End of London called Fifteen who is no only a top class restaurant, but also a registered charity where Jamie trains 15 young people every year (3rd now) from disadvantaged backgrounds, often homeless, living in care and having learning difficulties and all unemployed and gives them the opportunity to become top class chefs. Graduates are placed overseas in some of the world’s best restaurants. This is not only a great thing for the young people who’s lives are changed, but it also changes their attitudes towards success and achievement which is often one of the biggest barriers. I’m sure that these people he’s directly helped will not only have a better lifestyle, but will also be able to share these values with their environment, friends and family which will contribute to promoting a culture of success and of aiming higher, rather than sitting on your backside thinking that the world owes you everything. He started this project just as his wife, the beautiful Juliet “Jules” Oliver
Just looking for an excuse to pose a picture of her!!

was about to give birth to one of his daughters and while also preparing a new book and tours in Asia and America. (By the way, I was just looking for an excuse to put a pic of her.
;)

Then, he decided to help one of his friends Jimmy start a farm of rare breed pigs, close to extinction and then went on a crusade to support local farmers and promotes organic food producers to make sure that they are treated fairly by the large supermarkets. For a long time, the only company he’s been associated with is Sainsbury’s , the supermarket that makes the most in order to promote and help organic production in Britain.

And most recently he started the Feed Me Better campaign making sure that children all over the UK get a chance to have good , balanced school meals. This is especially important because as he says on his website: ” What we eat affects everything. Mood, behaviour, health, growth, even our ability to concentrate.”

He’s already won in the county of Greenwich where now, thanks to his efforts more than 6,000 schoolchildren are now eating healthy school meals, cooked from fresh ingredients, every day. Now, it has become a political issue and the Labour Party have jumped on the bandwagon once they realized how Jamie made people realize how important what the children eat is for their wellbeing. The results are already in and behaviour has already changed in a most positive manner!

And now, children of a fairly deprived area get a chance to eat herb-crusted fillet of fish, Mediterranean braised beef with couscous, and much more rather than greasy chips.

Now again, like a lot of good people trying to do their best, he’s come under quite a bit of criticism. Some people talk about his “mockney accent” whatever that means..
Some people say he’s using this for his own fame. Then again, I think that if I was worth £17 million, had a beautiful family who would rather I spend more time at home, I’d find other ways to increase my fame. Also, how many famous people have managed to push these social issues as much as he has? I don’t know of any!

So yes, I’ll buy his books and yes, I signed his petition for the Feed me better campaign! And I hope you do to! Because not only is Jamie Oliver a great individual, but also if everyone that had the means to act did the way he does, the world would definitely be a better place.

Yippeee!! (Part 2)

YES!
I’ve made it!!
I got a new job!
Starting on the 11th of April, I’ll be a Learning Mentor!

I’m very excited.
A bit sad to leave the LEA as I’ve met loads of really nice people and my professional development shot through the roof by being surrounded by so many experienced professionals, but I needed to move in order to continue my own development and successfully complete my degree.

It also happens to be in a very nice school, so that surely helps as well!
;)

More experience, more responsibilities, more money, more chances to use my different skills.. this year is showing to be just as good as the last one!

Wish me luck!
:)

Back to Normal again!

Back from Quebec, Nickie and I quickly got back to the old routine.. which isn’t a bad thing in our life I must say: relaxing, working, studying, and lotsa luvin.. we are generally quite content with our day-to-day stuff.

Also, lots of exciting things are happening. For the long term anyways. When we are studying, we are not looking at the momentary disturbance in our weekend as we are both in 2 areas of the house doing our thing. We are working, with enthusiasm because everyday we can see our dream getting closer and closer.

For sure, with the nature of my work these days, it’s not easy to go though my degree. but that will all change soon and I WILL become a teacher.
Or something like that anyways..
:)

I’ve got a pretty good vibe about myself these days, I must say. Not that my inflated ego ever really suffers any significant reduction of its size.. but as I’m listening to the beats of DJ Shadow and Massive Attack I just really feel in control and at peace…

It's over..

Thursday night, Nickie and I caught up with my aunt Monique who I hadn’t seen in a DECADE!
:O

It was quite nice really because we just chatted away like if we had just seen each other the week before. In fact, we chatted so much that I went to bed at 4am!
:O

My aunt sure knows how to party and sure has a lot to talk about! I’ll have to see her again before the next decade because I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay up as long as I did that night when I’m 10 years older!
;)

The next day, when I became functional again, Nickie and I we decided to each go a separate way from her parents and do our own things.

Nickie and I chose to walk through our favourite shopping street, St-Denis, where trendy coffee shops and restaurants are alternated between art, books, DVD and everything beautiful you need or might simply want to buy.

Our trip coming to an end, I just relaxed and slept all the way back to our home in Wales where we are living such a great life…while waiting to return to La Belle Province!

Yippeee!!

After Tuesday night’s hockey game where we saw the new and much more sedate (thought 10 times better than British teams) Verdun Dragons win against St-Hyacinthe , we went to the Hotel de la Montagne where we were received as guests for the first of 2 nights during our stay in Montreal. We needed the rest because the next day it we went up north where we went sliding down the slopes on the Pentes des Pays d’En Haut whit my aunt and my mum!

Ma tante!

After 2 hours of going down in tubes, we visited the beautiful village of St-Sauveur. No picture can truly capture the beauty and magic of this little village in winter.

Then, we went to Hotel Chanteclerc
this is my favourite hotel in the area because it’s nice and relaxed and DIRECTLY on the hill. You’ve got beginner to intermediate skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing. So many activities!

The ski rental people are proper assholes, but the rest of the staff and ambiance are A1!

Fresh winter Breeze

After the trip to the falls, we came back home for my mum’s birthday.
Good times and good fun..specially after a “special” driving experience..

The next day was more relaxed. After a nice breakfast, we went on the ATV’s through my family’s woods.

Montmorency Falls and the Ice Hotel

The 14th, we went to Montmorency Falls.
At 83 metres, they are 30 metres higher than Niagara falls.

Montmorency and the Sugarloaf

The weather was beautiful and the “Sugarloaf” was there. It’s a hill of ice made by the mist as it freezes in the air. Children often come and slide down onto the lake at the base of the waterfalls which as also frozen over.

Being able to climb on it and be literally just a few metres from the falls as they come down was an amazing experience.

Later, we went to the Ice Hotel.

Absolut Bar

It was the first time I’ve been during the day and as the tour guide said, it’s a totally different place from when you visit at night and I do recommend that you go at both times, specially if your sleeping close, you can then make the most of the Absolut Bar!

Starting our trip!

Well..that’s it! We finally arrived in Quebec!

We arrived!

Ok, so we had to stay awake 24 hours, deal with unfriendly staff from Lufthansa, listen and witness to odd discussions from Air Canada staff…oh. And after me driving in the dark on the long, straight road of nothingness that is Highway 20 east, we, FINALLY arrived!

Our rooms at the Hotel Belley were really cosy and comfortable! Just as I like them! Nothing special, but everything was just right!
It’s the fifth time that I’ve either come here or recommended it to people and every time it always proved to be a great choice. Its location also makes it a great choice.anyways! We loved our nights there!
:)

Then we got to stroll around old Quebec, drank caribou had a delicious meal at the Parmesan for Valentine’s Day (1 day early). If you are going to have a “special” meal in Quebec, have it at Au Parmesan. The service and atmosphere are well worth the price! (38 St-Louis Street)

Tae Kwon Do

This picture, my friend, is the last ever picture that anyone will see me doing Tae Kwon Do. Indeed the contest that was held today did not go as planned at all.

First, I fought against the coach of a friendly school, which always makes me uncomfortable since this is a full-contact sport where you score points by kicking people. Second of all, I might be in good enough shape for the gym, but for the ring, no. The excitement, adrenaline and all quickly spent the limited energy I had in my legs and I gave a pretty poor show.

Third of all, the ending. Second round, I’m loosing 6-2. Not that it’s surprising. I’m so tired that I’ve stopped kicking and because my opponent doesn’t kick that hard, I’m quite happy to stay put and get kicked, only moving for the headshots. When I saw the score at one point, I literally said to myself: “ah..fuck it.. This is actually quite nice, I think I’ll just relax ad try not to get to battered.” But then, we were getting warnings because we were not fighting much (guess my opponent was tired too!) so we had to do something. My opponent decided for a spinning hook kick to my head. I bounced back and went in as he was falling and threw a roundhouse kick. I got him on the head.

End of competition, I’m declared the “winner".
Seeing a father of 2 get carried out on a stretcher with an oxygen mask is not cool. Knowing you did it is even less cool.

Then, the fighter’s dad came in giving me shit because he said that I was having a laugh about his son when I walked out. Actually, what happened was I came out of the ring and stared at a spectator and my lovely wife. The spectator in order to ease the tension said something with a smile so I had a nervous laugh and told my wife: “don’t show this tape to your dad, he’ll think I’m mad!” and had another nervous laugh.

I was so furious that this man might think that I could be disrespectful and take such a serious K.O lightly that I went to see him and he got all agitated and rude to me. To his left, I could see the fighter’s daughter. Cute little 2-3 year old. Looking terrified. She looked like she was probably thinking: “Oh no! The evil man that beat up my dad is now going to attack my grand-dad!” So I just walked away and looked at the last few fights thinking to myself, yup..These are the last fights I’ll ever see.

And it broke my heart.

When I stepped into the car this morning, I thought to myself “This is your last competition, mate” Didn’t’ t tell Nickie or anything.. I was just pleased with the idea. My plan was to not keep stretching all day like a lot of the new lot do. Just relax, encourage the kiddies and hopefully have a nice “relaxed” fight, hopefully win but in either case, walk out with a few applauds and people smiling at me.

Then I’d be back at the club on Tuesday, people smiling saying “good fight” or something and then I could concentrate on simply keeping fit and coaching the younger ones.

But nothing worked as planned and I’m not going back.

And that’s that.

Please, don’t question me anymore on the subject, as I would really not that about it after this blog entry.

Thank you for understanding.
I have enough of a stupid trophy to remind me of that day.
(P.S: just got a phone call. The man is “alright". The doctors told him he could not drive so his wife has brought him back home where he can rest.)

Join the Revolution!

My next camera!

One thing you might notice of my blog, for now is: the abscence of pictures.

The reason is quite simple. After I went on that rant about how tiresome I found doing my website, I went onto photosig and looked around a bit.. Then went on my website.. then went into iPhoto and noticed something that sucked quite badly: I didn’;t take a picture I truly liked ever since I got rid of my film camera.

Now some people might think I’m crazy as 90% of people seem to embrace the revolution of digital photography. But me, I hate it.

First of all, any techno geek with no knowledge of light can take a crap picture and turn it into something a head turning pic. That’s not photography, that’s computer assisted imagery.

I hate it because pixels don’t have the “organic” personality that make all the difference between a velvial and a provia, iso 80 or 1000.. yet people seem to have forgotten already. They have forgotten the pleasure of just going out on a walk with your equipment, body, filter and all simply to look for something to shoot and try to render not only what you saw, but also what you felt.

BUT! There is hope for all of you’s, like me, who can’t actually deal too well with endless streams of script: I’M GETTING A NEW CAMERA!!

Yes, you read right. The Board of Directors (Nickie) has allowed a part of the budget to go in photography again!

IU was having a bit of a moan the other fday on the Photosig forum about how I hated digital really, a bit like I’m doing now but worse, and right there appeared my wife, like an angel, surrounded by a halo of light saying: Why don’t you buy a film camera? We can afford it with all the cuts you’ve made!

How great is that?!

I had sold my trusty F60 in order to save money because I was taking loads of pictures when I first met Nickie. I changed it by a digital and the savings were immediate! Our first trip: Quebec in Winter! The result? The stupid digital camera couldn’t deal with it. Imagine if I had my F60 and would have taken tons of beautiful pics I’d have to print.. But the time of darkness has come to an end!

Finished the time where I have to spend pointless hours trying to fix pictures on Photoshop, only to have to colors verified by someone. Finished the times when I would want to take a shot and think: this looks like shit. My polarising filter would make it so much better..and imagine in 28mm.

And NO! Photoshop’s Gaussian blur is NOT the same thing as a Diffuser Filter!

But thankfully, my wonderful wife knows that and is understanding, so “soon, you’ll hear me even happier than ever and shooting more pics like this:

So what's new?

Quite a bit, actually.
These days, I’m working on my Numeracy module in University. Quite honestly, it’s the kind of module that I dreaded and kept me away from Uni, but I’m in now and the last grade I got (2.1) can only encourage me to continue. Anyways, our future literally depends on me succeeding at this. Also, I’ve always wanted a degree anyways so might as well get a good one!

Also, we got our bamboo floors installed in the lounge. Truly looks amazing! Combined with the brown leather sofa, chrome, wall-mounted cd rack and all, it makes for a really nice, relaxing environment! “Looks Feng Shui!” as Nickie said.
;)

Another thing is that I was reminded yesterday that I was fighting on Sunday. Now let’s consider this: I’m not super fit. My legs and back are really tight these days, I haven’t been in a fight in 4 years now. I’M SURE TO WIN!!
: D

Another exciting thing is that Nickie, her parents and myself are going to Quebec in February! From the Carnaval de Quebec to the Verdun Dragons, going down hills on tubes and visiting ice hotels, it’s going to be a fun filled family holiday for sure!

Anyways. Got to go now! My sister-in-law is coming for a visit.
Talk to you later!

Life's Good!

Well. I’m back!
Thanks to my old friend Vinnie (see links to the right.) I’ve got my own blog space back online. I’m going to be using this site more than my .Mac site because I have so much happening these days that I couldn’t possibly upload pics and update my website all the time because it is hard work and when a hobby which should be something we do for our enjoyment becomes a headache, it’s not a hobby anymore, it’s a bloody job! And because I already have so many time consuming interests, see links to right again, I figured these quick text updates would be much better.

For those who don’t know that well yet, my name is Ioan and I’m a Quebecer.

To make a long story short, I was born in 1977 (but my family tree goes down to the 15th century) in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and had a fairly confused life until I met a wonderful woman which I thought was so great, I just had to marry and move to Wales where I live today. Not only did I find a wonderful companion, but also since we’ve met, my whole life changed! New country, new career, newly found academic skills, the whole lot! It was like winning the lottery! If you want more details, just email me. But basically, here is where you’ll be able to follow me in my little adventure through life, pushing forward and chasing dreams.

Hope you enjoy!