In August nothing much happened. After our trip to Europe we had a few days off and then everything was back to the usual routine. I was happy to be back as it feels so much like home here, some of you might find it strange…but I feel much more at home here than I do in Belgium. Michael had to go back to work on the 5th of August and I was still off until the 8th of August. We had quite a bit of laundry to do, cleaning up a little and taking care of our garden. Michael’s parents had looked after our garden while we were away which was so nice of them. At least we didn’t have to do that much work. I am still in touch with my mom every week and it’s always so nice to hear her on the phone.
I was also in touch with Ineke over the e-mail and phone now and then. She was going to be busy this month and the next couple of months as she was going to have family coming over. Her parents were arriving somewhere in the middle of August and in September her best friend was coming over for about 3 weeks and after that her mother in law and Sandor’s (Ineke’s husband) brother would be coming over. So, she would have a fairly busy schedule. I met up with one of my ex-colleagues who I am still in touch with frequently. Her birthday was at the end of July, so I promised her when I got back from Europe I would take her out for a nice lunch. It was good to see her again and to catch up on all the gossip over lunch. The weather has been quite nice in August, except for some rain showers and cloudy weather near the end of August that lasted for about a week. In the mean time I also have a new camera which I am quite excited about. It is a DSRL (Digital Single Reflex Lens) camera with 2 lenses…the Sony Alpha A200 DSLR with an 18-70mm lens and a 75-300mm lens. I was hoping to go try it out sometime soon.
In September we had such beautiful weather with lots of sunshine and quite warm temperatures. Michael and I went for a walk in Capilano River Park in North Vancouver where I was able to test out my new camera. Wow, what a great camera that it…I love it! It’ll take me a little while to get used to all the features, but it is a Sony like my previous camera and the operation of it is a bit similar. We had a good time at this park and followed 2 hiking trails. One that took us all the way up to the Cleveland Dam and Capilano Lake and the other one was called the Second Canyon Trail where we had a great view down the canyon. At this park there was also a fish hatchery where you can learn about the several different fish that are found in this river.
The biggest news that I got in the beginning of September was a letter from Immigration Canada with a date for my ceremony to become a Canadian. I was so excited that I was finally going be Canadian. This would take place on October 16 at 1.15pm. Michael was going to come with me and after I told Ineke about it she wanted to experience this too and she was going to come as well. Ineke also contacted me and her parents had gone already and her best friend came a few days later. She wanted me to meet her friend as well and figured we might want to do something together. I suggested picking up some of that yummy Chinese food and we could eat it at her place and after that we could go for a walk at Golden Ears Provincial Park. There is an area called “Gold Creek Day Use Area” where the dogs can run free on the beach and swim in Alouette Lake. So, we thought it might be a good idea to go there since it was quite warm outside and sunny again. We had a great time and enjoyed our afternoon…Ineke’s friend Daphne was a very pleasant women and we all had a good time together. I didn’t have time anymore to go out with them for a day, so I went to say goodbye to Daphne after one of my day shifts at work. It was nice that I had the chance to meet her and I wished her a good trip home. The same day as Daphne was going home, Ineke’s mother in law and her son were arriving.
Ineke her dog Pink and myself enjoying Chinese food...I am not sure if Pink was interested in me or the food...haha
I went to Burnaby Mountain again on one of my days off which is my favourite spot to take some photos, especially now with my new camera. And Burnaby Mountain is only about 10 minutes driving from our place. The roses were still in full bloom in the rose garden. I also went to Colony Farm Regional Park one sunny afternoon at the end of September as I had never been here. I drive by this place everyday when I go to work and I had never stopped here. Of course I wanted to go try out my new camera some more, so one afternoon I drove out there and did a bit of walking there. What a lovely park this is which some nice walking trails, a river, views over the mountains and more. It was very peaceful there and quiet which I really enjoyed. There were not many people there either, so it was very enjoyable.
A couple of photos at Burnaby Mountain
A few photos at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam
Please see my next post "My life in Canada (October 2008)" for the rest of the story!
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