Oh, the zoo! In all efforts to not cry over Paddle Tennis Weekend, I took a trip to see some animals.
Saturday I didn't end up going. As I left my apartment I heard live music and saw this big celebration just outside the grocery store near where I live. I wandered over and saw a few tables set up selling household items, face painting, mascots, and a giant inflatable bouncy thing. I looked around for a bit, and then ran into B., the man who helped me out on my first day, and who provides me with delicious crepes!
He informed me that it was ''Sjöbo's party'' or something like that. Sjöbo is that name of my part of town (and it's pronounced kind of like Whou-euh-bo - yes, I said it incorrectly for about three weeks!).
So, I perused around, and found some good stuff! I found a poster thing of Billar, a candy company I love. I bought myself two 'adult' glasses (non-plastic), a big salad bowl, two tins for coffee and sugar, a cardigan, homemade earrings, and. . . oh, a few neat Swedish postcards. All for about 17 Canadian dollars! I love secondhand.
So after those purchases and watching a few shows, I definitely didn't have enough zoo time. So I went and sat with B at the coffeeshop, and eventually did a bit of organizing.
So the zoo. . . . it was impressive, and I am a harsh critic when it comes to animals!
There were lions, and tigers, and . . . yes, raccoons! Oh my! Actually, I have to say, I was impressed by so many of the animals and the large habitats they had. They even had seals, a lion pride, bears, and wolves that rushed up down from the forest in a pack. Amazing! The funniest happening at the zoo was the last animal I saw: racoons! People were fascinated by these raccoons. Now, anyone who lives in an urban centre is NOT fascinated by raccoons, but actually quite the opposite. I probably see 20 raccoons per week in Ottawa. But here, families and teenagers gathered around to watch the raccoons be fed. I was laughing out loud.
Funny event number two. There was a petting zoo. You get get inside this enclosed area and pet pigs, goats, and sheep who were just walking around. I looked in and thought, ''awww I wanna pet the animals too!'' so i washed my hands and entered. Then I looked around. I was the only person over six in that area (excluding parents who were supervising their kids). That was definitely the creepiest I've felt in a long, long time.
I am still at work. I think I have three billion things to do. There are not enough hours in the day, let me tell you.
Last night I went to a colleague/ friend's house for dinner, and picked at the cake for a good hour. Mmmm cake. Now, I'm so hungry for dinner but am forcing myself to stay and work for a little while longer.
A few students who I do not teach came up to me and asked me where I'm from. I told them Canada, and they replied that I should go back there, because it's better than Sweden. ''Oh, well have you ever been to Canada?'' I asked.
''No, but we've seen it in the movies.''
I don't know what movies they're watching. . . Canada does not have a prominent role in many blockblusters that I can recall!
Tomorrow is Thursday, and I've always loved Thursdays because that used to be ski club days. Ski club has been over since grade seven, but I've always loved the feeling that all you need to do is get through Thursday, and then it's Thursday night, which is BASICALLY the weekend. Oh, except that now my Fridays are busy and I teach until such a late time in the day that by the time my class is over, most of the staff have disapaeared and it's a ghost town!!! Tampis!
15 weeks until I'm home for Christmas! (but who's counting?)
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