Halloween at The Aquarium

For the week before Halloween, the aquarium where I volunteer at has special programmes planned. Bug-eating, slime and bats! Hell yes I say.

Today, I stood for  an hour and a half by a table with jars of baked crickets and a tank of beetle larvae. “Feeling brave? Wanna try a bug? It’s bacon and cheese flavoured. No? What about BBQ beetle larvae? Or would you just like to touch the live ones?” And encountered some pretty enthusiastic kids. “Can I have one more?” I couldn’t say no to that tone and those tiny outstrectched hands! “Thank you, Mrs Bug lady!Bye!” I also had to pop some myself. Taste like slightly cheesed sesame seeds. “I’ll eat one if you eat one” was also a common response, either directed at me or the parents. One kid crie and apologised, but I swear I didn’t make him eat it.

There was also a station for Hagfish. Boy, are they gross. Slime shooting blind scavengers. To think they were thinking of replacing egg whites with hagfish slime…eek.

I can’t remember the last time I had fun with little kids. They always frighten me by the way I frightened them. But this time, I wasn’t frightening because I had crayons and paper bats. Some kids are pretty creative and non-confrming. Some couldn’t imagine and were bound by realism. Craft-making is so fun. I wish I could haven shown them how to make pop-up cards.

And so, I spent one Sunday. Better than studying for that darned Chemistry test tomorrow.

So far so good

People ask me if I’m adjusting to this place alright. I feel there is nothing difficult about it! Nothing could be more difficult than that, no? Different language, different understanding of the word ‘organised’, different toilet system… Going from ’sab kuch milega’ and conservative people (I now it’s slightly contradictory),  to seriously organised and liberal was pretty easy.

Small things that make me smile at the change:

Buses that go regularly from school and transits that take me everywhere. The little LED sign in the bus that tells me where it’s going to stop next. Hellos and byes and thanks shouted through the train like bus to the driver. Bus drivers that say Have a good day. The buses here have buke racks and a hydraulic system that makes it go hissssss, and lower its doors for the elderly and disabled, like a humble creature. Old people. Galore! It makes me happy to see them going around so much, on transit, with their walking sticks or electric wheelchairs. Elderly and disabled friendly is most things. It was also very sweet to walk across a bridge with engraved tiles that read (not exactly): Marge and Deb..10 years and strong. It’s nice that people can be with anyone they want, hold hands, and picnic.Thrift stores. Yes, I am not cashed enough to go to normal shops. But it is amazing the wealth of stuff to find. Some things are brand new and go for so little. It becomes a game to find something nice and cheap. It’s also nice I can drink out of almost every tap.

So, it’s been good so far. Got an awesome volunteer job at the local Aquarium, so I’m learning loads of stuff. Trying to learn as much as I can about local issues with the environment.

One thing I can’t get used to. Not yet. Is the sudden greyness of the sky and bone chilling drizzle.

As I ran through Burnaby Mt Park

The start

I was running

park area

perfect weather

So I thought I’d snap some photos of Burnaby Mt Park as I went for a jog. It’s a trail-plenty area for cyclists and runners. Perfect place to chill out, picnic, pak toh and of course…the magical forest (wink). It’s got a beautiful view on days of good weather. And I like days of good weather.

One can see all the way to Stanley Park.

Swarming the shade

Last night was an inspiring adventure for me, as I walked the streets of downtown in a swarm.

Alysha invited me to join her and a bunch of her art school friends to swarm. The idea behind it was to visit one small art gallery/exhibition to next. These were located around downtown Vacnouver, especially along the sketchy Hastings. But all is ok in a swarm.

The art for my non-artistic mind was pretty good. Some made me smile while some made me blank. That’s about all I dare to comment.

The people one encounters along those streets after dark are so diverse. And quite creepy. The weather was perfect for a walk too. So the elements of cool air, slight adrenaline (for fear of gangs, drunks, crackheads etc), the nice bunch of friends and my comfy shoes were all nicely combined.

I want to walk the streets more and more. Just spend my time from one bus to the next, one street to the next. I’ll smile to all the bus drivers and shop keepers.