When in doubt go to Rome

I just decided that I could swap some shifts around at work and the next thing I knew I had 5 days off coming up. What should I do with these 5 days off? After work I rushed on home on pay day and thought it is time to get back on a plane and see more of the world. Lets buy some tickets, there was thought on Wales, Venice and even Amsterdam....Rome was the one that strummed the right chords.

After some hilarious antics, tickets are now booked!

First stop, Sky Bus trip to East Midlands airport. I didn't think that there could be an airport smaller than Edmonton's but I have found it here right in the UK. 12Pounds a family ticket got both of us a return ticket from Derby [40 minutes one way] and back, not a bad deal. (Apparently to buy two adult return tickets to the airport would have costed us 12.50Pounds, I like helpful bus drivers.) Off to a good start!

Since I do not hold a UK passport I had to go find the visa check counter, which was very much ust a counter. We had shown up in advance just in case there was a huge line up, instead it took all of 10 seconds. i assume that not very many people that holds a non-UK passport come through here.

We bought our tickets through RyanAir now the website itself states that tickets are relatively cheap but with     all the airport fees it pretty much doubles or triples the price of the ticket. either way, I didn't like the fact that you would have to pay extra for checked luggage. there were no allocated seats and if you didn't have a printed boarding pass on an A4 sheet of paper it would cost you 60pounds to get it printed off at the airport. On the better side of things, if you like first come first serve seats this is an excellent airline to fight your way onto the plane. I personally don't like to have to  line up in a rush at the boarding gate.

2.5 hours later we arrived at Ciampiano airport. From the airport we caught a bus (another 40 minutes) into Roma, conveniently they sold bus tickets return airport shuttle for 8 Euros.

Arrived at Termini station {this place is pretty darn big} the hub for tourist and tour guides. We wandered around for awhile looking for our hotel and hitting up our first tabacci store. Our hotel was hidden away since we were looking for a huge neon sign like all other hotels but it was on the smallest plaque on the side of a huge hotel near the buzzer saying that it was on the third floor. To only find out that we weren't at the correct one and was escorted over to another hotel since they have three hotels within a 3 block radius. Christina Hotel was advertised on hostel bookers as a featured hotel since their regular prices are 60-100 Euros per night and we got it for 20 Euros/per night!

Our double private room had carvings on the ceiling and nicely pattered blankets and wallpaper with a reading chair, a very small TV, mini fridge and a kettle. Much nicer than I had expected, the only things was the fact the walls are a bit thin.

Now we are ready for our first day in Roma.

Pancake Day

Over a casual conversation I found out about "Pancake Day" since I am a big fan of pancakes I really wanted to find out more. In the next couple days I had come to the final conclusion of making this a party at my place. Now with a good hand full of people we will celebrate pancake day with a big feast and a variety of pancakes.

Before hosting this party I needed to inform myself why we have this pancake day in the first place. I later found out that it is the last day before lent and things like butter and  eggs weren't allowed to be eaten. It was time to actively start practising abstinence, of giving things up.   

An English Pancake is thin, flat and fried in a pan with sugar sprinkled over the top with a dash of fresh lemon or orange juice. Then this pancake is rolled into what looks very much like a crepe, some people here add golden syrup or jam. 

English Pancake Recipe:

220g Flour, sifted pinch of salt

2 Eggs

1 Pint of Milk 

50g of Butter

Since the Canadian way of eating pancakes is having them thick and fluffy, I am sure that people will still eat them even though they aren't nearly as traditional. 

Canadian Pancake Recipe:

1-1/2 cups of milk

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 white sugar 

2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup of butter, melted

Trivia:

Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday - UK, Ireland and OZ

Terca-feira gorda (Fat Tuesday)- The final day of the Brazilian Carnival

Apocreas 'from the meat' - Greece since they don't eat meat during Lent

Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday) - Sweden

Mardi Gras - USA and France 

Sprengidagur (Bursting day) - Iceland 

Fastnacht or Fasteloven - Germany 

HAPPY PANCAKE DAY!!!!

Birmingham and Brand New

Woke up without enough sleep, off to the train station we went. I slept on the train. Yay, new place!

First, we got off the train and escaped through a cold shopping centre, instantly found a map. Now onwards to wards the first bookstore. i bought Warm bodies and World War Z, since we watched the Walking dead earlier in the week.  It was excellent to cash in on my birthday present :)

City Counsel building. 

Went to the farmer's market. Apparently British farmers breed ostriches, the smell and look of the pastries there were nothing short of appetising.

Now I have a picture of the queen. 

* Went to the museum and art gallery, too much renaissance art, queues too long for 10 da Vincis

Lace Exhibit: I have forgotten the name of the exhibit but it was my favourite art display I have seen since I have arrived to England.

Went for lunch. Dimsum and candy towers buffet. In the China town guide we wandered in search of a store that does not exist. MuMu's stationary.

Can you see that bubblewarp building, oh yeah and the cathedral. 

To Millennium Point which was horribly designed, it was such a long walk to get into that building...instead we hit up a Starbucks, read new books. It was time to head over to 02 Academy, met simon and zoe

Brand New 

A late train back into Derby and then a saunter back to the bed. A good day out!

Snow in England

When it started to snow on Sunday everyone at work was not only worried but people started to call for rides to make sure that they would be able to get home. Fair enough, I wouldn't want to be stuck at work with no way home either. Taxi lines were busy, buses were out of service and even flights were being cancelled. There was a panic: people were not getting a satellite signal on their tellies! What to do? Cars driving no faster than 20 miles per hour if that, cars abandon on the side of the road and even main roads between suburbs were closed down. After I was finished work I taught some friends how we make snowmen Canadian stylez!

Coming from Canada I found the snow not only really nostalgic but really pretty not having seen any since I landed in Edmonton in February last year. Lucky for me it didn't last that long but it was sure cold!

I am sure there are a lot of people out there that think of Canada as a waste land of snow since we bark really loud about how cold it gets. To be honest the snow itself isn't the thing about Canada I dislike it is the -30C.

This is what I think of when I hear the words 'lots of snow'

Here, like Vancouver they are NOT prepared for snow fall, snow removal seems to be non-existent. They throw salt and gravel over what snow they do get in hopes that it will melt as quickly as it came. As long as it doesn't get any colder than the lows of -8C I think I will be all right. A news post of the insanity due to the snow in the UK

Enjoy the snow.

Starting the New Year

It has been far too long since I posted anything so here is an update letting everyone back at home what I have been doing in the month of January.

New years was again spend somewhere other than home, this year Danny and I went to visit with his friends. We had a lovely hotpot that I did not get any pictures of but it really reminded me of home since my mom loves doing hotpot for Chinese New years.

A picture that Simon took on the previous hotpot day for Danny's birthday!

Lots of good people and good food, when midnight rolled around we stepped outside and watched the fireworks being shot around. A full 360 degrees!

Shortly after the new years I started working at a call centre, currently as I write this I am still in training (a whole three weeks) but the mentionable part is that they took us out of town to a place called Leeds to check out the SKY TV call centre. Since that is what my job will entail answering customer service calls, everything from general queries to billing. Should be interesting, I'll let everyone know more when I actually start taking live calls. 

Last Friday I went to see my first play in England, The BFG!

Well that is all for now, over and out.