Bens Blog

the update

2011-09-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

I had an AWESOME day yesterday! I got home Friday and got to bed at 2am but had trouble sleeping but only because like most people I can never sleep when I am looking forward to something. The thing I was looking forward to was going to Toronto to watch the Jays play the Yankees with 2 of my favorite Jays fans-my Uncle Gord and my Nephew* Jack. I got up at 7:45 and got and got on the Greyhound where some woman who thought I was a hippie sat down next to me and talked incessantly.

I got to Toronto and met another one of my favorite Jays fans-my awesome Cousin Giselle. We went to her place to wait for Gord and she made me and Jack lunch (she is his Mom after all) and after some nice hanging out Gord Jack and I went off to the Sky Dome** to watch the game. The Jays lost*** but it was still a great day out and Jack got to run around the bases after the game. But the best part of the day was Jack, when I told him I had to go back to Guelph grabbed my waist as we walked down Blue Jays way and when I told him that I loved him, he told me that he loved me more, it really made my day as I love my family so much.

That, and seeing some friends I'd not seen in a while made for an awesome Saturday. Today will be a day of TV and Wimpys which is also awesome making for a great weekend.

* OK so technically hes not my Nephew because hes my Cousin's Son by why split hairs?

** Screw you Rogers, until the Jays win the World Series again, its the Sky Dome

*** Yeah but they only won by a homer scored by A-Roid who frankly shouldn't be allowed to play after doing roids. I think even the Yankees fans were booing so really, the Jays won a moral victory.

happy birthday Alex

2011-07-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life some are friends, some are family some are still with me and some sadly are no longer here in any sense of the word. I have been so blessed that I normally do not like to single out 1 person so as not to leave anyone out. But today I feel compelled to issue special long overdue thanks to 1 person, it is his birthday so its the least I can do. Words cannot express the joy he has given me over the years and how much I love him but I will give it my best shot.

They say Hell is an eternity trapped with your best friend (or something like that), and before I met Alex I might have agreed but now, I could frankly see the upside. I met Alex at KE7 some 12/13 years ago and we bonded over a love of Tom Leher and a deep dislike of our school. Together we thumbed our nose at authority (in as nerdy a way as possible) and had fun on the weekends.

I have so much respect for his continuing strength and his ability to endure almost anything life throws at him. He never lost his desire to help and his belief in the goodness of people so much so that he is choosing a career based on helping others. But that is typical of Alex who enjoys helping in general. I am so lucky to have such a truly wonderful friend in him he has been there for my highs and helped me during all my lows.

He challenges me in my beliefs and because of that I am stronger and inspires me not only to be a better traveller but a better person.

Hes more like a brother than a friend and living with him has been a joy. We are a complete team and we compensate for and compliment each other almost perfectly.

Without him my move to Canada would have surely failed and may not have even happened its just one of the many things I have to thank him for.

I am so grateful for his love and friendship and would now like to wish him a happy birthday and remind him and that is, in fact still older and than me.

Oh and Al, if you're reading this-we're running low in milk...just saying

Happy birthday my friend and thank you.

Happy Canada Day, Canada.

2011-06-30T21:35:00.001-07:00

I am one of these people who tends to love with places much easier than people. Although I am hardly well travelled I feel as if I have done my fair share and sometimes like to be nostalgic on my loves.

Belgium-my first trip with no family. I was young(er) and tend to look back on this trip as more of a crazy haze of beer chocolate beer waffles and beer. But I will always love Belgium despite our rocky start.

The UK will also have a special place in my heart, almost a home away from home an ancient land without whom my nation may not be what it is today.

Germany is another one I will always timeless, classic and always nurturing I can always visit and re visit Germany and learn something new she's been around but has aged beautifully.

Yes, I am fortunate to have travelled and loved many countries but there is only 1 country I am truly in love and that is my home and native land, Canada. I am truly in love with my country from the west coast (which I have never seen) to the east coast (which I have never seen). I love our people polite and hard working we are the farms of Saskatchewan the noble Mennonites of Ontario the kind small town butcher the friendly Torontonian (they exist) helping tourists. I love our multiculturalism how many great sounds smells and food that Canada produces. I love our proud history as peace keepers and reputation we have built around the world.

I love our self depricating humour, Canadians can make fun of ourselves because we are secure in our insecurities.

Ah heck I even love Peter Mansbridge and the National! But most of all, I love the feeling I get whenever I arrive back in Canada, the feeling of being home.

Happy birthday Canada, I love you.

my own election commentary

2011-05-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up on Tuesday after a long Monday night the way many people might wake up on Sunday after a night of heavy drinking at a party-confused, embarrassed at our actions the night before and nausiated. I started thinking about the night before "did we really? No...wait...oh crap I think we did, I think we gave Harper a majority." As I went over the info I watched last night watching more and more ridings going over to Harper until the fateful moment where a majority was called all I think about was O Canada...how could you? Much like the early hours of a party we started this election sober and with a plan, we were going to continue to flirt with the Conservatives giving them another minority making the Liberals more jealous sadly this plan went seriously awry-I blame the alcohol.
To be honest, if I didn't dislike packing so much I probably would have bolted for the emergency exit which I believe is located somewhere near Cambridge and never looked back. But then I thought where I would go? France? Not while the French live there! Italy? Their governments worse than ours! Nothing like Europe to remind us that things could be worse.
And then there Ignatieff...I admit I don't remember a lot of what he said because I was busy hurling various expletives at the TV and planning my escape to some liberal oasis (are there any though, really?).
I remember feeling let down by Iggy, our democracy and by Canada especially those of us who did not take the time to vote. I remember in 2004 being in Paris with a group of Americans when George Bush was re-elected. Seeing the horrified looks on their faces and wondering how any country could allow such a man to govern their country-I guess now I know.
When something like this happens its very easy to get caught up in it all and very easy to think that we are all doomed but the truth is this election has not been all bad. Allow me to share the good...

1) Harper has no one to blame now for his failures. He can no longer complain of partisan games and a broken Ottwaw now he rules outright. Not to mention with a majority the NDP can actually oppose the government without worrying about trigging an election. This could actually give Harper enough rope to hang himself.

2) Many of what Harper would do-scrap same sex marriage and abortion is protected both by the Provinces and Supreame Court.

3) An NDP Official Opposition! Come on progressives-did you really think that would ever happen?

4) A Green MP-I did not see this one coming. Whatever I might think of May she will hold Harper accountable and there will be no exluding her from the debates now.

5) The Bloc got stuffed-always good to see Seperatist cry babies get theres.

So after I calmed down I realised that Canada will be fine. I do not want to leave my home just because we are going to have poor government for the next 4 years because Canada is bigger than a government we are a people with a proud history and herritage. Oh and as I mentioned before-I really, really dislike packing.

homeward bound

2011-03-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

I will have a proper update over the next few days but I wrote this while on the bus in Kentucky...

As I am currently on a bus going north towards the Mason Dixon, I thought I would take this time to reflect on the south and my impressions of it-the good the bad and the grits.
I think its fair to say that New Orleans and the south in general have proven all of their stereotypes true to a certain degree. I certainly ate well both in Memphis and "'Nawlins" with various BBQ and fried meats (the south loves there fried food I have even heard of deep fried butter but I try not to believe it). I was lucky to have awesome gumbo, sea food in general and po' boys sandwiches which is essentially meat a peice of bread usually French stick.
The music is great here too with Jazz, Country and Blue Grass it made a nice change from the dance obsession back home.
Southern hospitality is still alive and well-everyone I met was more than willing to give me advice on where to go and what do to. Its almost as if the people here go out of their way to be kind.
On the other hand other remnents of the old south have remained and I wonder how a black person would feel walking down Jefferson Davis blvd with the big statue of said man. Indeed the Confederate history museme also serves as proof that to some, the south is still a different place. Some states still celebrate Confederate memorial day to give you some indication... and while listening to Jazz in the middle of the street may be fun I cannot help but consider how much traffic gets held up in New Orleans on a daily basis-'Nawlins is a lot of fun if not always well organised.
All and all I enjoyed my trip to the deep south and met some wonderful people, but I will be smiling when I am over the Mason Dixon if for no other reason then because it means I am closer to home.

the update

2011-02-20T08:41:00.001-08:00

WWE Smackdown was a lot of fun at the now named Riccoh Center.
I am looking forward to my trip down south which is in 2 and a half weeks. I am spending 24 hrs in Memphis before headding out to meet Alex in New Orleans. I am looking forward to trying gumbo and listening to some music also seeing rue Bourbon. To be honest though, what I am really looking forward to is hitting the road again, just traveling on the open road and seeing new places. I miss that feeling of freedom and of exploring.
Sooo our apartment building caught on fire. Basically near as we can tell something melted in the laundry room and a dryer went up in flames. We had to wait outside while the fire department did their thing-the city provided a bus for us to wait in to keep warm as it was snowing, very nice of them I must say. The good news is, no one was harmed and out apartment was unscathed, it didn't even smell like smoke.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

the update

2011-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

couple of things to update...
Alex and I finally got a DVD that can play British DVDs it was pretty cheap and now we can watch 99% of our DVDs again which is great. We got that a couple of weeks ago and it was the only thing I felt we still really needed for our apartment.
Last weekend I went to Toronto for some quality time with my Cousin Giselle and Son Jack. To say I had an absolute blast would be an understatement. We watched Dr Who and then went to a birthday party on Saturday, then on Sunday we all watched more Dr Who before I got the bus back to Guelph to catch the Royal Rumble which I thought was fairly decent this year.
This weekend I am headding back to Toronto for the day to the Ricoh Center to check out a Smackdown house show. I have never seen WWE live so this should be an interesting experience.

the update

2011-01-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

Not much going down at the moment, had a nice relaxing weekend last week and a nice ham and mashed potato dinner. I am glad it started snowing again as hopefully Jan will proove for a better winter. I also hope this summer is cooler than the last one we had.
Lately I have been wondering where all the good television and movies have gone. What will be seen as ledgendary from this era in 20 years? Where are the Cheers, the FRIENDS and even the Seinfelds? I suppose 2 and a half men will be remembered but I doubt in the same light. Its the same with music are we just entering an era of mediocraty?
Good luck to all my friends starting school and I hope this semester is good to you all.
I hope that whatever happens Sudan will not experience a war. It looks like the south will leave but I hope that Khartoum and Juba can work together and that both nations can be peaceful towards eachother.
Last weekend of January should be fun as I am spending Sat in Toronto with my cousins and then Sunday evening I may be going out with Alex to see the Royal Rumble at the movie theatre. Still on the fence about this as I am not sure if I am willing to pay for WWE but the Sat should definately be fun as I love my cousins very much.
Looking into getting a DVD player soon that is region free.
All and all things are very good.

the 2010 wrap up

2010-12-31T16:24:00.000-08:00

I don't really know what to say about 2010 really. It was one of those years where good and bad happened both in the real world and my own little world. I suppose the best thing to happen to me was my move to Canada. I am feeling very good about that right about now and living with Alex is great. I also got to travel to NYC and had an epic journey down to Washington-1700 miles 23 hrs and it was great.
2010 had some sadness as well, the word lost Alex's father, Haiti seemed to have no luck at all and various countries seem to hate eachother more than ever. Politically Britain was betrayed (in my opinion of course) by the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg who is now facing the near Parliamentry extinction of his party. But it wasn't all doom and gloom Northern Ireland saw its election of the first Alliance MP a party that is neither Catholic nor Protestant simply Northern Irish the Greens saw their first MP with the more than able Caroline Lucas and the BNP who were pegged for council gains got hammered.
All and all I think I will look back on 2010 more fondly than I do right now this year was sort of a building year for 2011 so here is hoping that 2011 is brighter and happier.
Happy New Years!

NYC Part 2

2010-12-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

We got up fairly early and decided to do the statue or Liberty and Ellis Island. We took the ferry and it was a beautiful view. It was cool to see such a famous American landmark. The Ellis Island museme is huge although I did find the exhibit on racism to be quite interesting albeit sad considering that really, nothing has changed.
We took a night ferry back to the city and got to see the sky line all lit up it was amazing. Before heading to the Manhattan center we decided to take a litte detour to Wall Street-its amazing how small it is and yet its able to cause so much trouble!
We also saw the Wall Street bull.
The Hammerstien Ballroom is a very historic sight for wreslting and its Manhattan Center home is synonymous with the WWF, ECW and ROH so it was a real honor (pun intended) to see an ROH show in the same room where all this amazing stuff happened.
The show was great I really enjoyed it.
After the show I grabbed some street food a beef shishkabab in a bun my favourite NYC street food. I also had some amazing pizza while I was there too NYC has a lot of great food for sure.
The next day before we left I had enough time to grab a pastromi bagel as we said goodbye to NYC.
I want to take some time to dispell some myths about the city that some people cling to while I am here...

New York is NOT dangerous-OK well scratch that New York is no more dangerous then anywhere else. I walked the streets at night in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Village sometimes with a heavy backpack on my shoulders and never once had a problem.
New York does not have to be expensive. There are a lot of cheap things to do in NYC, the ferry can take a whole day if you really explore about $16 many museams are free and you can even grab a slice of pizza for a buck.
New Yorkers are not rude-I met many helpful and polite New Yorkers including the Police.

Lady Liberty

Ellis Island registration center

The Bull of Wall Street

They say you should never meet your heros but I found the M&M guy to be great

*sweet* Lady Liberty
O Canada!

Rule Britannia!

Hop Suisse!
Hammerstine Ballroom

NYC Part 1

2010-12-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

We left Guelph has 7:30 and hit the road for NYC stopping for an hr in Toronto for a bite. We got to Port Authority in the morning and decided to have some breakfast at a pizza place I went to last time I was there, it tasted just as great as I remembered it. We headed back and got the subway to our hostel to check in. Our hostel is ran by 2 very nice people from Zurich and combine Swiss efficiancy with NYC hospitality.
After checking we decided we wanted to see Avenue Q so we left early to see if we could get rush tickets. A rush ticket is a ticket that they sell at a fraction of its valued price because they want to make sure that the theatre is full so due to great planning by Alex we wound up getting front row for $25. This did however leave us with 7 hrs in Manhattan so we decided to just walk around. We went to the M&M store which was amazing and also checked out the Hershy store. NYC is a great city for just wandering around you see all sorts of great sights and smell all sorts of great smells.
Today we are going to see the Statue of Liberty and then go to Ring of Honor's Final Battle (which was after all the point of this trip).
So far I must say I am really enjoying NYC.

the pictures

2010-11-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

Toronto on the bus

Canada to the left, Americato the right-this is not some sort of veiled political statement I am on the border.

Peace Bridge plaque in Buffalo
New York State welcomed me personally

Wait, use ANY coin combination but no pennies? Whats the deal Buffalo News?
My Broadway debut. NYC is an amazing city and I had a great time with Julian

Only in NYC can you be walking down a street and see a statue of Ralph Kramden

Rally signs

the update

2010-11-13T11:46:00.001-08:00

My trip to Washington was a good one I stopped off in many facinating locations including Syracuse,Buffalo and of course New York City.
On the way down I met a cool dude named Julien who was also going to rally so we hung out and decided to spend our 3 hrs in NYC walking around the city we saw Times Square and had an amazing Pizza-I truly like NYC. Washington however....
My main complaints about DC are as followed:

No one seems to live there so no one knows where anything is they all live in Baltimore of Virginia.
The Public Transport system sucks even buying a ticket is confusing

The city is laid out poorly and thus finding things are even harder

The Rally was fun but due to whatever reason there were little speakers so hearing was difficult although Ozzy Osbourne rocked!

RIP Steven

2010-11-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting trip and I will totally blog on it later but this is about something completely different.
On Monday Alex got some horrible news come to think of it so I did his father passed away.
Steven Windos was an accompished musician who played in concert halls all over the world as well as being a great cook (I know both of these first hand). When he edited City Limits he took on media power houses like Maxwell and was never afraid to tell the truth. He was kind to his staff and will be missed by many.
I have a lot of memories of Steven he gave advice when I needed it, entertained me with stories about his travels and was never afraid to speak his mind.
So long Steven, you will be missed.

On the road again

2010-10-26T10:05:00.001-07:00

Yup I am hitting the road hard going to Washington DC stopping off in NYC Baltimore and various other places. To say I am looking forward to this is an understatement as its been way too long since I indulged in my passion. Washington should be great but really I am looking forward to just getting out there and hitting the open road. This trip will be roughly 1710 miles and take 23hrs as I am traveling by Greyhound. I will not have internet access but I will be writing down thoughts and blogging some of them when I can.
I am leaving Friday morning so hopefully I can get a good nights sleep Thursday although I don't bank on it as I find it hard to sleep when I have a big day ahead of me.
I ave never been to Washington or south of the Mason Dixon so this should be an experience!

the update

2010-10-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and despite lifes ups and downs I really am a lucky man to ave so many wonderful people in my life, a job and even a couple of cool things to look forward to.
I got up early and Sunday and got the bus to Kitchener to attend meeting-the first Kitchener meeting I had attended in about 10 years and was instantly welcomed like a child returning home. That is one thing I love about Quakerism is the sence of family and community.
Then I went back to the bus terminal to meet Alex off the bus followed by Corrine. We went to her lovely apartment for a Thanksgiving meal. To say that the meal was delicious would be a huge understatement the food was so good words cannot describe it. I also had the pleasure of meeting her friend Delali. I hope to see her soon and her fiancee Micheal who sadly could not be with us as he had to work.
I had my tooth out yesterday so while its sore I am feeling much better.

the update

2010-10-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Had a great visit with Dad it was wonderful so see the (not so) old man.
Today I went to the movies with Alex to see the Social Network. I have to admit when I first found out there was a movie being made about facebook I did not think it would be that good but then I found out Aaron Sorkin was in charge and that raised my interest. The movie itself is well worth a watch even you're not into facebook its a well made movie.
Tomorrow Alex and I are off to Kitchener (hopefully to meeting) and to spend Thanksgiving with my friend Corrine. I am very much looking forward to spending quality time with some close friends.

the update

2010-09-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

My Dad is on his way to Canada and I shall be seeing him tomorrow. It will be good to see him and I look forward to catching up with him.
The weather is definately improving autumn is starting to break through which is nice for me. Autumn is my favourite season-Thanksgiving, Pumpkin pie and fall leaves.
I need to register to vote as we have municipal elections in Oct.
Just watched a classic PW101 match Davey Richards vs Lionheart with Milky reffing and Brett taking photos...brought back some goooooood memories.
I spent last weekend in Toronto with Alex and my Uncle it was grand-my Uncle nicely bought a ticket for me to see KISS at the Molson Ampitheatre-a great venue for music and then the next the day I spent a couple of hours just wandering the streets and having a great time. I love Toronto so much so it was a thrill to be there.

the update

2010-08-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

The 23rd was my Grandma's 91st birthday-I called her and told her how much I love her and that shes special to me. The 24th was my friend Jenny's birthday as well, sadly I lost her number but I owe her a phone call.
Not much going on at the moment-the past weekend saw ribfest come to Guelph so Alex and I attended it was wonderful it was like a country fair but with lots of meat and BBQ sauce.
I went out and played some pool with some cool people at Jimmy Jazz but I am looking into going to the LCBO and getting an ID as I dont fancy brining my passport with me whenever I wanna go to a bar and play pool. Its annoying but on the other hand there is far less under age drinking here than in other places so I guess its a good, albeit annoying thing. By the way in Ontario you need ID just to go to a bar even if you're not buying alcohol although I guess in the big cities some places over look this.
I wanna get a cheap camera so I can take some pics of where I live.

the update

2010-08-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

Had a great time in Kitchener with Corrine (although we actually went to St Jacobs which was great).
I turned 26 last week and my Grandmother took us out for dinner to celebrate which was nice of her. I also went to a 50s diner called Wimpys with Alex where I had an AMAZING burger and a rootbeer float-woo hoo!
I am currently looking for another job that pays more as I am thinking about higher education. A friend reccomended a 2 year course in radio production. Now that I am back in Canada I am thinking about the future more and I think a job in radio would be fun. I loved doing student radio in Rutland and I love music so this could work.

the update

2010-07-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing going on still working at the factory its an OK job, I just wished it paid more. Tomorrow to celebrate our first Canadian paychecks Alex and I are gonna go out to a bar called Jimmy Jazz and listen to some live music and then on Saturday we are heading to Kitchener to see Corrine. I've not been to K-Town in a long time and am interested to see what its like now.

the update

2010-07-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

Not very much to update-I start work Monday and while I am not looking forward to being a factory cleaner, I am looking forward to earning money.
Also with some income coming in I might be able to make the odd trip to Toronto which will be great as I do love it there. Infact, this time next year I might even look at moving to Toronto as its one place I would really like to live in.
Yesterday we went shopping and gave the apartment a little clean. We got a nice appartment so its important to look after it.
Nothing on the agenda today, might go out and explore Guelph some more. I wanna get a siv and also a bread tin so I can make my own bread as fresh bread is nice and also cheap.

the update

2010-07-12T05:01:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot to update-
looks like Cavendish has got is groove back and it could not come at a better time he is still up for a Green jersey in my opinion.
A couple of days ago Alex and I spent the day with my friend Corrine which was great because I had not seen her years. We went to a park and played board games. I also finaly although briefly got to meet her fiancee Micheal. Sadly, they had to leave right away to go to Brampton but I am hoping to meet him properly soon. He seems like a great guy from what I saw though.
Tomorrow I am going for training for my new cleaning job-the good thing is once I start work on the 19th I will no longer be considered a "vunerable worker" because I will have Canadian work experience which is what I need. I still think its BS though its like I have lots of experience but because it happened outside Canada it doesn't count? Mind you, I am sure other countries have similar things.

the update

2010-07-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing to update so this is gonna be a short one.
I hope all my American friends and family had a happy 4th of July.
Currently watching Dr Who with David Tennant-the best of the newer generation.
I tried watching the news today but it was all about the Queen of England-I cannot believe how much money we spend on her royal visits!
I hope everyone is well!

Happy Birthday Cat

2010-07-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one to wish my sister Cat a very happy 28th birthday-love you sis!

Happy Canada Day

2010-07-01T03:57:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my beloved nation of Canada. This Canada Day is extra special for me as its the first one in a long time that I am actually home for! There is a fireworks display on tonight which should be fun.
I am glad to be have been born in such a wonderful country as Canada and I love this land very much. We are a land of diversity and tollerance and of great beauty.
So all Canadians everywhere, raise a glass today and be proud to be part of this great nation!
Alex and I went to the Canada Day celebrations in Guelph and while it was pleasent I must say I was dissapointed in the lack of anything Canadian there. It was basically a fun fair with some flags nothing celebrating our proud history and herritage apparently this is quite common nowadays but I can remember a Canada Day that was about Canada and celebrating our nation.
I am gonna go out tonight to watch some fireworks and eat some 29 cent wings.
LONG LIVE CANADA AND HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

the update

2010-06-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Not too much to update-on Sunday I went to a Quaker meeting in Guelph organised by Kitchener Area Monthly Meeting with 2 friends Kristen and Christopher. It was great to see them again and I hope to go over Kitchener one Sunday to see more of my old friends. That is 1 thing I do like about Quakerism wherever and however long you are away you are always welcomed back and treated like family.
Tomorrow is Canada Day and Alex and I are planning to go to the park to see the fireworks I have not had a proper Canada Day celebration in years so this should be fun.
Speaking of friends I am hoping soon to catch up with old friends now I am in the area again.
I got my Social Insurance Number yesterday it took a while to find the place and when I was there I was told my birth certificate and Canadian passport would not cover it and was asked if I had any British ID with me. Luckily in my bag I did have my British passport so I pulled that out and was given a stamped form with my Social Insurance Number. It was all pretty painless. I still need to wait 2 weeks for a card but I have the number and thats all that needed. I will keep it in my wallet I had reserved a spot for it in the side with clear plastic, but sadly its been taken by an ROH ticket with Jim Cornett's autograph so its going in the normal card holder place with my Guelph Library card.
Aside from that not much to report!

the update

2010-06-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Not too much to update today-Canada Day is July 1st so will probably go to the park and watch the firework displays. I really wanna start making my own bread and might invest in a mixing bowl and get some ingredients. Hopefully my birth certificate will arrive soon and I can get a SIN card. Getting one will mean that I am officially a person according to the Canadian government at the moment I am only a person to those who know me and the Guelph public library.
Dissapointed that England are out of the world cup but seems like they did their best and were just outplayed. I really hope fans don't do the typical English thing of blaming someone like the manager this was no one's fault.
Watching Dr Who which is probably the best show in the UK right now athough I do miss David Tennant he was a much better Doctor.

live from Guelph its Thursday...day

2010-06-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

We just got our internet and phone installed which means we no longer need to trek into town to use 45 mins of library computer.
Come Friday we will have everything we need setted up which will be great and will make this place truley home like to me.
Last night my Grandmother, Gord Alex and mysef went to Janet Lynns in my old stomping ground of Waterloo and even passed my old street of Bluevale.

the update

2010-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

We made it to Guelph yesterday and went shopping-our super is leaving so he basically sold us his living room which is 1 sofa, 1 sofa/2 lazyboys, a chair, 2 tables, a TV and a stand for $650 we also got some plates and kitchen stuff and an airmatress for me.
2 days before that we went to a party in Withrow park with Gigi, Jack and a few of his friends we had a great time, especially playing with super soakers.
Just so everyone knows as of this moment I have no phone and internet so communication from me will be scarce to say the least but I am hoping to get that sorted ASAP.

the update

2010-06-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

So as you know, last Tuesday Alex, Gord and I went to Guelph to apartment hunt we had 4 viewings and here's the result...

Apartment 1 was alright but it was out of the way and kinda cramped also it was literally some guys basement and that some guy did not seem too cool. He tried to put the pressure on us telling us that he had someone else interested who he actually preferred and yet was willing to offer us a contract.
We had a break for lunch at a nice diner Gord knows.

Apartment 2 was cool, a nice apartment with a nice kitchen on the ground floor of a 4 story building just across the street from a TD bank and a low cost grocery store. The super was nice as well no pressure and told us there were no other applicants.

we then drove to Elora and spent time with my Grandma and she wanted to take us out to dinner so arranged to pick her up in a couple of hours and drove back to Guelph.

Apartment 3...person was not there...never mind

Apartment 4 was in some ways nicer than apartment 2 except for location (not close to anything really) and the kitchen was smaller and not nice. The super Scottie was really nice an old Scottish expatriate the people who lived there seemed to love him which was a good sign.
So we weighed our options and decided to go with apartment 2 as the kitchen and location was better.
Unfortunately there was 1 thing we hadn't banked on you see in many ways moving abroad means giving up your past, I have no SIN card, no employment history and not many people to vouch for me. Luckily Gord agreed to be a guarantor and when the woman was unsure gave a good character reference for me and Alex so we found out this morning that we got the apartment!
Anyways, back to Tues we collected Grandma and went to my favourite place in the world to eat-Friends in our Kitchen. The restaurant is an open kitchen with 1 chef whose name is Ging. Ging is from Montreal and is of Asian decent so his food is interesting to say the least and very delicious.
Yesterday I had a great time with my cousin Gigi and her son Jack. Jack and I played games and then we all had pizza-I will be seeing them again on Sunday.I hope my move to Canada means I can see more of them.
Tomorrow Alex and I are going Ring of Honor in Toronto, I have admired ROH for a long time and I am a fan of many of the wrestlers appearing so this should be fun

the update

2010-06-14T06:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to my cousin's 8th birthday party it was held on an old fashion train and the ride lasted for about 30 mins. I had forgotten how much beautiful countryside there is in southern Ontario. Tomorrow Alex and I are off to Guelph to view some apartments, we are aiming to have something by the end of this week then comes the boring stuff like registering to vote etc.
Something was brought to my attention the other day-Queen guitarist and rock royalty Brian May came out with another rant against fox hunting saying that the recent claims by a family that their 2 children were attacked by a fox was false-it was not. Now, I am not going to open the debate about fox hunting because its not about that for me its about May and the city he represents.
Now, I have cut May a LOT of slack over the years even with his attempts to sell out Queen's legacy I still acknowledge his talent but I hate when townies especially from London come up to the countryside and start shooting their mouth off about everything under the sun when they clearly don't have all the facts its typical London ignorance and belief that they and they alone know whats best for everyone.
Feeling mixed about the World Cup sad England did not win against the USA but I am happy that Germany and Ghana won their matches.

the update

2010-06-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Went into Toronto today so I could go to an internet cafe and print off the forms I need for a SIN card-Social Insurance Number or National Insurance to those in the United Kingdom.
Then I had a lovely talk with my good friend Corrine. I hadn't talked to her properly in many years and yet we are still able to pick up as if we had only seen eachother last week.
Now that Alex is here, we have been apartment hunting and we are heading to Guelph this Tuesday to view a couple of places.
Aside from that there is not too much to update.
Ben

the update

2010-06-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

I arrived safe and sound in Canada a couple of days ago the flight itself was alright.
Alex is going to be in Toronto in about 6 hours but he has to stay in a youth hostel for 1 night to do orientation-find out what animals will eat him and such so I will see him tomorrow then we will apartment hunt in Guelph which is our ultimate destination.
Not much going on right now so I just thought I would give a quick update so everyone knows I am still alive.
Ben

moving on

2010-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Today is my last full day in England at least for a while. In all honesty after many, many years I am ready to move on but I am also going to miss this place.
England and this land has become a second home to me and I have met many wonderful people as I journeyed this proud and ancient land. The British are a noble if not stubborn people many say arrogant but it was that arrogance that saw our nation survive and see off invasions from the Spanish Armada to Hitler's Nazis.
Britain has given the world many musicians from the Rolling Stones to the Sex Pistols Britain has influenced the world and not just in music and culture democracy too-many of the worlds democracies are based on the idea of British justice and our sense of fair play.
Nowadays its common for us to forget how well we have it, knocking Britain has become common place with the newspapers declaring this "broken Britain" and by all means, this island nation is not perfect however we must never forget our core values of freedom and justice that has made Britain a shining beacon to many in the world. We are not just 1 land but a union and together we are stronger. It is with pride I am British from the rolling hills of England to the moors of Scotland, the valleys of Wales and beauty of Northern Ireland we all come together as 1. So, to my British friends have a pint, raise the flag and be proud to be a member of this of this island nation all the while remembering that we are *Great* Britain.

the update

2010-06-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

As written earlier I had a great time in Doncaster. I was a little nervous when I went to the Hall Cross as it has changed hands. I will say that there has been some changes-some better than others but overall its the same pub and the vibe is still there. It was great seeing friends eating pizza and generally having fun. I had a delicious milkshake as well, one of the best milkshakes I have ever had.
There is a certain magic about that town a certain character to it that makes it unique.
I watched Eurovision and while I voted for Turkey I am happy that Germany won it was basically a nice song if not a great performance.
Today Alex and I went into Stamford to visit our friend Kas and her friend Linda for a BBQ. I had a great time catching up with her and talking about old times.
The Tour de France will soon be upon us and it looks like Armstrong will be out with his new team Radioshack (how tacky). Personally I think last year proved Armstrong is too old to race any more and his best days are behind him for sure, he needs to hang it up while he still has some legacy left. Its interesting that Landis has implicated Armstrong in his doping scandal as well.
I am hoping that Cavendish does well and wins a few stages maybe even take the Green to Paris that would be a real treat! He is probably my favourite rider right now.

Quiz by Tiffy 2006

2010-06-02T01:52:00.000-07:00

I will be back blogging as normal soon but for now I thought I would revive this old post...

Every once and a while I get an email from a friend wanting to me fill in some quiz or something. Well, I thought I would get Tiffy to fill one in-here it is:

Name: Tiffy

Age: Roughly 73

Date of Birth: 1993

Place of Birth: Cambridge

Fav colour: its a tie between black and white

IN YOUR LIFE...

Who is your oldest friend: Human known as "Ben" or my mat

Who is the funniest person you know: I think all humans are equally stupid

Who is the wierdest person you know: See above

Who is the deepest person you know: See above

Who gives the best advice: My mat

IN YOUR FUTURE

What do you want now: Sleep

What do you want 10 hours from now: To be sleeping

What do you want 10 days from now: To be eating

What do you want 10 weeks from now: To be sleeping and eating

What do you want 10 months from now: To start plans in blasting Onion into space

What do you want 10 years from now: To blast Onion into space

If you were stranded on a desert island

Person: Whoever will feed me

Book: Substitute Book for Cat food

Another object: My mat

RIP Tiffy

2010-05-31T08:37:00.001-07:00

I had a great weekend in Doncaster but I will blog about that latter-I got in the car at Grantham station and Mom told me that Tiffy had died.
When we left Canada, the one thing I really didn't like was not having a cat sadly as we rented both in New Ferry and for the first year in Stamford we were not able to have any pets except for fish. Needless to say when we arrived at our house on Drift Gardens in Stamford the one thing I wanted was a pet cat like we had in Canada and so we all went to an animal shelter in Peterborough to pick one. According to my Mothers recollection, she wanted another cat but I saw Tiffy and made the case for bringing her home and we did just that.
Tiffy was born in Cambridge and was sent to a shelter after the family who had her had a baby and believed in the urban myth that cats harm new borns. When we lived in Drift Gardens she would stand in the middle of the street surveying the street and being Queen of the street and of our house.
She was always so pretty and brought so much joy into our home and I will always love my baby Tiffy cat.

the update

2010-05-26T02:51:00.000-07:00

Not much going on. Last night we had a work party for Tristan whos last shift is going on as we speak. It was a good night out that ended with us all chilling in the garden of our restaurant, good times. As well as Tristan, another chef and my self have left and people at work gave me a nice card. Some old faces were there like Chris our old assistant manager-it was great to see him. It was just really nice seeing the whole team together.
Alex is getting back from his Bridlington/Hull trip tomorrow night and apparently whilst in Bridlington bought a substantial amount of DVDs like Red Dwarf and Blackadder so that should be fun. This weekend I am up to Doncaster (but you already knew that) on June 3rd I am hoping to see a friend of mine Emma who used to work at the restaurant but moved away to university. Also later on that day Alex and I are going out with a mate of ours Jed which should prove fun. On the 4th some of the chaps from my college days are coming out for a drink at the Grainy our teacher Dr Tillbrook may also be present.
The weather is turning cooler which is a relief to me hopefully being up north the weather will be cooler still.
1 thing I am very relieved about is in December I FINALLY got my Canadian passport. Canadians make it way too hard to get a passport outside our own country seriously and woe betide any Canadian who enters on a foreign passport. Canadian customes really cannot grasp dual nationallity I am a British citizen, if I wish to visit Canada on my legal and valid British passport then thats my business where I was born should not enter into it.

Nothing really on the agenda today, just being bored might just pop in a DVD or something.

so long, fair well

2010-05-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

I offiically stop working at Pizza Express on June 7th-June 7th is important to me for 2 reasons-firstly its my leaving date and secondly it will be the second aniversary of me working at Pizza Express however my last shift was today.
Let me start right now and say if anyone is looking for me to go off on one about the company than you're going to be dissapointed because I am not going to do that here. This is not about "the company" at all really its about the restaurant where I litterally put my blood sweat and (albiet onion induced) tears into and what I am going to do here is give Pizza Express in Melton Mowbray a sincere and heartfelt thank you. I had been unemployed for a long time before they brought me on first as a waiter but then they trained me to be a chef. They not only gave me a job, they gave me an oppertunity and for that I owe them my thanks.
My boss Tristan has been a real gem he is a great guy and to him I thank him for putting up with me for 2 years (almost) for being a great boss and dare I say friend.
The chefs I work with who trained me also deserve thanks they are a great team and it has been a pleasure to work them even during the bad shifts we always ended with a laugh and a smile.
The floor staff are top notch too, the whole team is I honestly don't think I will ever feel this close to a group of people I just work with ever again- I wish the new manager Ben well and hope he realizes what a great team he is getting.
Melton Mowbray has been through a lot since we opened our doors a lot of good people have come and gone, I hope all of our futures are bright.

the update

2010-05-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

I must be one of the few travellers who hate packing, I really truly hate it mainly because I always forget something. I had a dream that I was on my way to the airport only to find that I left my passport behind and now its a nagging worry in the back of my mind. I've not started packing yet, I probably should I leave in 18 days. Not even sure what I am bringing-clothes obviously and of course DVDs.
A bit of a change of plans-I am leaving June 7th from Gatwick in London (one of my least favourite airports but hey ho). I was hoping it could be Manchester as I like that airport and it would have meant seeing my Sister and Dave before I left but Manchester is more expensive. Alex is leaving on the 9th and has 1 night of orientation so I will meet him on the 10th-we're staying with my Uncle and have already began apartment hunting. Hopefully we find something soon.
Lately I have been thinking-why must people re-hash or bring back things that were great? Indiana Jones 4? Yeah, because I really loved sitting through 2 hrs or so of feeling that Harrison Ford is too old for this crap. The A-Team movie? No Mr T. no point. And what really annoys me is when someone has an actually good idea for a TV show like Studio 60 it gets cancelled! People really don't know how to write good television and network execs have no faith in their shows anymore. Guess what show had abysmal 1st series ratings? M*A*S*H and I think we can all agree that that show went on to do very well. Cheers is another one but the networks had faith made some changes and it all worked out. Its like finding out that the BBC cancelled Dr Who originally because it lost ratings when they moved it against Coronation Street-so...lemme get thus straight BBC, you axe your most popular show because it can't beat the most popular British TV show? Dr Who has been brought back and it serves proof that there is exception to every rule although they have remained fairly faithful to the old series.
Eurovision is almost upon us and I shall be in Doncaster watching it. I love Eurovision it allows you to make fun of other countries in ways that normally would be offensive. Not that uhh I ever do that...
This weekend will mark the last Doncaster for a long time and this does make me sad. I love my weekends in Doncaster, there is a certain magic about this place it may be a bit of a dive but its been like a second home to me. Walking up the old High Street, drink at the Hall Cross with the regulars, long nights watching wrestling at the Donny Dome, fish and chips and DVDs on the laptop-magic! I know I will see Doncaster again after this weekend but that wont stop me talking loads of pictures!

1st post

2010-05-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hello, if you're reading this you're either
a)lost
b)very,very bored
c)you actually have intrest in my ramblings

some of you may remember that in 2005 I had started a blog for going to China but I am opting on a new blog mostly because blogger.com is a lot easier to use and access. I intend to use this blog sporradically but hopefully more often than I did my old blog to update on life and share some opinions if and when I get any. My sister gets credit for this as when talking to her on the phone she suggested a start a new blog.

I suppose the biggest news in my life right now is that I am moving back to Canada in June, I have not actually lived in Canada since Augest of 1993 so this will be interesting. I am moving back with friend Alex-I have known Alex since 1998 and the dark, dark days of King Edward 7th Upper School truely how we surrived I will never know. Actually, I hear KE7 is closing down its GCSE department and while the closing of a school is not good, I do feel smug satisfaction that I outlived it. Alex and I also went to the much better Rutand College.

Sooooo anything intresting news lately? Um....oh yeah, Alex and I went to see KISS a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham and while the LG Arena is crap, KISS was very, very good they played all of their classics and some stuff from their new album. I reccomend anyone see KISS-they even top Alice Cooper in showmanship and thats saying something because Alice Cooper is really, very good.
So, when is summer going to be over? Thing is, I have nothing against summer dare I say I even like it-the smell of cut grass, BBQs, baseball and picnics there is just 1 unfortunate aspect I despise-the heat. If only we could get the heat aspect out of summer and keep everything else-get to work science!