Another entry?? Already??

Yeah...I don't know...I'm bored I guess.

Today was a long but productive day at work. I was there from 7:45 until 5:30...incredible. The place is like a ghost town at 5:30. The exodus normally begins at 3 pm (of the people that get there at 7). Anyway, I finished report number 2, a literature review on SARS. Fun stuff. Will start my actual risk assessments soon. In the afternoon, I participated in one of the modules and learned all I ever needed to know about HEPA filters, how to decontaminated them and check them for leaks.

My housemate and I (not CTG but Mac student) are going to watch the Manitoba Moose this weekend. (The local hockey team.) They are in the league semi-finals....very exciting. Other things that I have planned for the weekend: yoga, cooking a nice meal, rollerblading around Assiniboine park (I hear good things), crocheting, sleeping, writing about active noise control headsets.

How do you like the hyperlinks? I saw them on Jess' blog...and stole the idea.

Today, at least, I heart Winnipeg

Maybe it's because the weather is improving. Maybe it's because I had an interesting (but long and exhausting) day at work. Maybe it's because I will get to try on a containment suit this week. Maybe it's because I found a gorgeous rollerblading route today. But, today, I am feeling the love for this place.

First, the weather. I suspect that it might have reached 18 degrees today. And sunny! No jacket! Very happy. The Bridge Drive-In, the local ice cream shoppe, is positively buzzing with customers. Tomorrow, it may be even warmer!

Today was the first day of a week-long international training workshop that is being held at the Science Centre on Biological Containment. There were people from all over the world there, including Singapore, Germany and Australia. In addition to lectures, they will get to do some hands-on modules. And I get to sit in on some of these modules! Hence, I get to try on a containment suit. This is a suit that covers your entire body head to toe that you wear in a level 4 containment laboratory...think of the movie Outbreak. That will be me! I shall definitely have to get some pictures taken...

Last night I went for my first rollerblade in Winnipeg. I only wanted to go out for about an hour. I neglected to bring a map, thinking that I would trust my intuition, and go for an "adventure". I learned that I have poor intuition. I got lost and by the time I got home after an hour and forty-five minutes, I was tired and my arms were like...well...arm-cicles. But, I saw a lot...and today when I went out after work, I knew which way to go...and I found an amazing route. First I encircle my neighbourhood (known as Riverview), sticking close to the river. Like all of my favourite routes, there is little traffic along this road and the view is quite nice (for Winnipeg). Then I cut back down past my house (this road is a little pitted...not sure why...) to re-find the river (the RED one), past the Bridge Drive In, and into another neighbourhood. This neighbourhood is also really nice. And this route takes me through a golf course, and past some really nice houses, the biggest elementary school I've ever seen and lots of people walking their dogs. Then I have to re-trace my tracks a bit to get home. Takes me an hour. But...darned good fun. (I can't believe this was the longest paragraph...sorry...I'm a nerd...but MY BLADES AND I are very happy!)

Nothing to complain about.

My first week in the Peg

Well, it's really not ALL bad. Let us first start by making a list of the good things that I have noticed about Winnipeg. (This should make everyone feel a whole lot better...well, maybe mostly me.) I will save my complaints for next week... :)

1. The job is super cool. For those who have forgotten, I am working at the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health. It's this HUGE place full of science types (I kind of see this as a positive...for now at least). My boss is an intelligent, hard-working, patient and warm woman. Kind of a rarity in the government (she's new). In my first week I have already learned so much from her. My projects are really secondary to what I will learn from touring the facility with her and going to workshops and seminars.

2. My room and bed are very nice. I share the top floor of the house with another student (coincidentally also a co-op student at CSCHAH...and from Mac! Yeah home province homey!) I have a nice big room and a really comfy bed. No more futon-induced backaches...joy! The room also came with a television...brilliant...I love tv!

3. My house is in a lovely tree lined area of Winnipeg right next to the Red River (prime flood location!). Lots and lots of trees here. And I've been noticing them gaining a little foliage since I have arrived.

4. The weather may be warming up. The night I arrived, it snowed. I also got locked out of the house for 3 hours in my windbreaker. I passed by a sign (which I later took a photo of because I thought it was absolutely perfect) that said "Cheer up. It could be 40 below, eh?" And indeed...boy did I ever. Last week was sandal and tank top weather. This week I'm taking as just an anomaly.

5. They are a lot more bilingual than they think they are. They actually have French quarters here. One of them, is just across River from my house. Yeah...j'adore le francais. Oh...and Gabrielle Roy and Louis Riel used to live here. J'adore les franco-canadiens fameux.

6. The flatter the land the harder the rock. I saw this on a t-shirt at the mall the other day. Apparently it was the slogan for the Junos this year. Gotta love that.

7. Sheesh...obviously this is in no particular order. But they have a sushi-martini bar! I went there on Saturday night, was too late for the sushi...but mmm....martinis were yummy! Just call me Jadini! (As an aside...gosh do I ever miss sushi.) It's funny that so called fast food in Vancouver was sushi...and in Winnipeg they have nomal fast food. I had Arby's for the first time in years on Friday night...mmm....satisfyingly greasy....mmm....curly fries...when you curl them they taste soooo much better.

8. I'll get to make use of the term "mozzie", the Australian word for mosquito, a lot this summer. It really is underused in other parts of the world.

9. Given that I am in a cushy government job, and get off of work at 4 o'clock, I will have lots of spare time to catch up on sleep, and re-learn how to drive and to crochet. I'm sure there are those among you who will argue that I never really learned how to drive...but bear with me. Oh...and by the end of the summer I should have a nice, warm afghan to stash in my closet in Vancouver (since it is too warm there to need an afghan).

10. They have yoga here...yippee...

Ok, ten things is enough...Come visit me!

P.S. Will the mysterious M please reveal themselves? Who is correcting my grammar goddammit?! It's a blog!!

Cheer up

Cheer up
Originally uploaded by Jadine.

The Banana Boat I found out later is an ice cream shoppe. That made it funnier I think. The sign is hard to read but it says "Cheer up. It could be minus 40, eh"