Edmonton
Trip Start
Nov 14, 2011
1
38
131
Trip End
Feb 28, 2013
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Since I was on the West Coast, I wanted to take a quick trip to Edmonton to visit with my friend Janet. Janet had moved to Edmonton a few years ago and recently purchased her first home. It was time for me to return back to Edmonton to reconnect with my friend and see her new home. I flew out of Victoria for a long weekend while Jeff stayed behind on the Island. While I was in Edmonton, Jeff went to Nanaimo to visit with our friends – Jeanette and Ian. It was the first time in 3 months that Jeff and I would be spending time on our own. It is a bit strange to think of being with someone 24/7 – so far Jeff and I are still managing to enjoy each other's company and we haven’t had the urge to kill each other (close but not yet!!). They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder – I found myself missing Jeff a bit while I was in Edmonton (what can I say – Jeff is a big part of my life).
I did enjoy my girlfriend’s weekend with Janet. As I arrived in Edmonton and stepped off the plane, I could feel the rush of cold air. I had prepared myself mentally for the cold, cold weather – this is Canada after all!! I was very happy to pack my fleeces, long johns and warm underwear as they came in handy during my time in Edmonton. A big change from the 30 + degree Celius weather we had in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
The weekend was full of catch up time, eating, shopping, watching movies and just hanging out. We went to visit the Art Gallery of Alberta – a place I had never been to all the times I had visited Edmonton in the past. I loved the exhibit on West Coast artists – especially the works by David Alexander and Ted Godwin. Of course no trip to Edmonton would be complete without a visit to the West Edmonton Mall. The place was packed with shoppers, families and friends all taking in the sights and the various activities that happen at the mall. We also went one night to the River Cree Resort and Casino. We had a seafood buffet dinner at one of the restaurants there, played the slots (lost our money – not too much only $10 – big spenders – not!!) and people watched. I got a chance to meet with one of Janet’s friends – Daryoush who came out to join us for Dim Sum (one of my favourite foods).
As we drove to the airport to catch my flight back to Victoria, I took in the vastness of the space surrounding Edmonton – flat and immense – the land continuing on and on for miles. Despite the cold weather conditions that occur in the winter, I do enjoy coming to Edmonton. It brings back a lot of memories of all the times I have come to this city for work and now coming to visit friends. I was very happy to see my friend, Janet so comfortable and settled in her new home – the city of Edmonton.
