the start of spring - March

Spring is supposedly here.. today is the 3rd day of spring. Time flies, and it's been 6 months since I had arrived in Van. well, guess, i am beginning to really settle down over here, and enjoying the longer days these days. the sun sets at 7-ish now. Work had been slowing down for the last week, though the first 2 weeks of March, i was still working hard. Looking ahead, I am so looking forward to getting home before sunset in the next few months.

Nothing exciting really happened in March. Just normal days.. work, dinner, drinks... just so looking forward to April, whereby, Travis, and the Killers are going to be in town. :D

So, just a brief outlook for March 2009...

Hotpot at Richmond..

Had hotpot with Grace and her husband at Richmond! Her husband loves pig blood (like me!). haha, It was really nice of her, (as she is a mgr), to invite me out for hotpot. I would have to return the treat at some good Singaporean or Malaysian good (PrimaTaste in downtown has closed down :( )

It snowed again! YAY

It was Sunday afternoon and it started with a "icy-mix" of snow... and it stopped in the evening... I headed to bed..... and, i woke up to streets full of snow :D . Walked to the client's place in the snow, and from the window of the client's place, it was snowing heavily even during the afternoon. But by 5pm, that evening, the sun came out, and the snow was gone, by the time, i was heading home at night from the office. This is vancouver.

Cocktail night...

Friday the 13th - work was overwhelming during the day at the client's place, and it ended with pub night in the office. It's just a social to celebrate St pat day, which fell on a tuesday. in any case, it was just free pizza and $2 beer to mingle with the others. Never really like hanging out at social for pub nights, coz, i have to pay $2 for beers!?! [always think it shld be free] but, everyone that i bumped into, after coming back to the offce from the client's, asked me to meet them at the event. So, decided to put work aside, and headed to for $2 drinks.

It was good, and i never did regret heading down. Was just drinking, and catching up with a bunch of friends that I haven't met during the week, since I had been busy.

And after that, headed over to D's place for cocktails. She had come back with Rum from Cuba, (and my cigars :D) and was having a cocktail party. It was really great fun, and enjoyed just having mojito and chatting with others. :D

It was one bottle of rum for each jug...

Week of ending work before sunset

Mar 16, was the start of a week, ,that I had not experienced in my first 6 months here. Booked on a job, and doing nothing at all during the day and being able to head home by 6pm, in broad daylights, and having the ability to see the sun from my room on a weekday. well, it was of course, due to the fact that i was working my ass off the last 2 weeks, and everything was done, other than waiting for things that are not within my control. Was really glad that at least my mgr, was nice and didn't release me, and even gave me a day off on Friday... :D and then, i realise, I really need a new hobby. it's going to be boring if there is no work. I can't be drinking every other day. So, i need to find something exciting... for weekdays. (hopefully, i am not jinxing myself by thinkig of this. ). Enjoying it while it lasts.

Friday - 20th Mar

Was my day off, and invited the rest of the pple over to my place for dinner and some games. Ordered chinese food take aways, and yeah, played monopoly, whereby, I was the winner :D (declared, coz, i was working slowly to take everyone down). was really great fun, coz, it's been a long while since I was played monopoly. always loved board games. The night ended late and we were all getting louder (maybe i am gg to get a notice of noise disturbance by the building manager), and the best part was... the whole group of us were stuck in the lift, after charlie followed tim's drunk instructions to jump in the lift. we managed to get out but as i type, the lift is still stuck at the same flr. (maybe i am gg to get an invoice of lift repair by the building mgr as well). it was a great night, but it was a night also a night that I had made a mistake that for the first time in many years, i ponder about "what if". I hope in time to come, time will wash away the mistake and life carries on.

Stuck in the lift....

Climbing out of the lift on the 10th flr.

First Spring weekend

Woke up early, after that night of drinks and games, that I headed for my first driving lesson on a bright early 7am. Was great, but i was told by my instructor that I would have failed if I had taken the road test then. -> was speeding along the certain test routes.

anyways, after which just headed off to watch the Irish rubgy team being crowned the 6-nations champion in the pub, after winning the game against Wales in a really tight game. :D It was a fanastic game, so close, and yet, the Irish team came back from a game that they were losing.

Headed to Xaiver's place for dinner. Surprised that he could cook really well. and he really had a very neat loft. just had dinner, drinks, smokes and watched a french movie. It was really good fun, to be able to mix with others, and yeah.. guess, i always like house parties.

Sunday, is just a slacking day and ironing day. didn't do anything much. Just walked around the seawall for a while. and the weather is still too cold for me to wear what i had determined to be spring. But it was during the walk that I saw buds on the trees.. and yeah.. spring is truly here.