These little things

Vancouver Spring 07: April 18

Vancouver Spring 07

Day 1 – Vancouver in Spring

Green green and green!!!!! Flowers are blooming. The field is filled with Tulips, Daffodils and Dandelions.

My first day out in Vancouver was such a lovely day. We drove from Surrey late morning to Downtown Vancouver. It took us about 1 hour (we got lost). There were four of us Ivepers – Eko from Indonesia, Mweemba from Zambia, Gisele from Brazil and me). We started our day by Granville Island tour. This is a lovely island where there are free market, shops and restaurants there. There is a port for yatch and ferry. We walked around a little bit then we headed to Chinatown. We had lunch Chinese food in Chiatown. You wouldn’t believe what I got from a small shop in Chinatown. They had sweet fish (Pla-Waan) from Thailand!!! I was so surprised and happy. It was only 99 cents. So I bought one pack of sweet fish and dried longan (Lam Yai) as souvenirs from Vancouver Chinatown. My Indonesian friend, Eko, loved it so much. Vancouver Chinatown is the second largest Chinese community in North America.

After fulfilling our stomach, we walked around Chinatown and then we drove downtown. The parking fee here in downtown area is highway robbery. We paid 12 bucks for 2 hours L.We walked along the water front. We smelled fresh air from the Pacific Ocean with a gorgeous view. It was a lovely day with sunshine and nice weather. I was so lucky that I didn’t get any rain while I was in Vancouver.

Then we walked to Gastown. This street is filled with souvenirs shops, cafes and restaurants. The landmark of this street is the Steam Clock.

After wandering in Gastown, we continued to a must-go Vancouver spot, Stanley Park. It’s such a lovely place. We can see downtown Vancouver and sky scrapers. And the highlight (for me) is the beach! I went to the beach and felt the breeze from the ocean. There is also a bridge there that you can cross to North Vancouver. It’s something like Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Steam Clock, Gastown

With little Spring flowers

Vancouver sightseeing bus

Prospect Point, Stanley Park

Beach in Stanley Park

Centre for Newcomers, Welcoming people from around the world

Here in Canada, I work in a very interesting and funful place, Centre for Newcomers. I love this place and i love my job here. People are so friendly. We got a lot of peple coming in the centre everyday. Students, clients, volunteer, teachers and staff help keep this place busy all the time. I'm so happy that I get to work here and help people in some ways I can. It's very multi-cultural here because we have people from many countries, every continents working here. Thats why I really like this place. We work, help, share and care for each other.
"The Centre for Newcomers is a place where newcomers to Canada find connections in Calgary.
The Centre’s mission is to work in partnership with newcomer communities to provide opportunities for individuals to adjust, succeed and contribute as citizens in Canada, and to work in partnership with Calgary communities to affirm and value diversity.
The Centre’s vision is to become a community in which people find and create opportunities to fulfill their dreams and participate fully as citizens."

To learn more about the centre please go to;
www.centrefornewcomers.ca

Me at my work space. My messy desk.

With my coworkers, settlement service workers Renato and Mario.

Pink Day with my coworkers. We raised money for United Way fund rasing campaign

Me on Pink Day at work
Ethnicity Day with my coworkers.

Life in Calgary

And again, I am starting to write the first post in my newest blog. I have several spaces that I write blogs and post some pictures, but again I have to start writing here because I am bored with my old Space...hehehe... kidding... Actually it's because many of my friends use this blogspot :)

Life has been a blessing. I can't believe that it's been almost a year that I have lived in one of the best places to live, Canada.

Canada, the second largest country in the world. I have been through sadness and happiness in the past eight months. All the feelings mix up. I was excited to come here. I wanted to go home to my very old surroundings but now when I relaised how happy and blessed I have been, I am going to leave this lovely place soon.

It's hard to imgine leaving friends I have made here behind. Life won't be the same for me when I go back home. I have learned a lot. I have become a better, stronger and mature person. I have received a lot of blessings through people, time and places I have been to. I will always cherish every moments I have spent here with things, people, work and places I've grown to love