...Thursday, April 29th...

Left Union station at approx. 9am. Managed to forget tickets at home, and slight panic situation ensued before it was discovered that they could simply be repurchased and the old tickets returned for a full refund. Also, my luggage was 9lbs over the 50lb limit...had to be the "badam pak" lol...

...Friday, April 30th...

Woke up at 5:30 this morning, must be the time difference and the sun seems to rise earlier here for some reason. Watched the sun rise from the observation dome, then went for breakfast in the dining car - cost me $11! What thieves...*sigh* oh well, "captive market" and all that stuff.

...Saturday, May 1st...

Arrived in Edmonton at around 8:30am. Noor Auntie and Salim Uncle were there to pick me up and by the time we got home Zahida and Hafiz (my cousins, aged 22 and 24, respectively) were awake as well. Felt so good to see everyone again, the last time was in 2000 and we had some really good times then too. Hafiz and Salim uncle had to go to work but Zed and Nora and I went to Whyte Ave. for the afternoon, which is like Edmonton's version of Queen St. W. in Toronto. I got a pair of shoes similar to my Birkenstocks except tan suede and closed toe - but just as deliciously comfy!!

...Sunday, May 2nd...

Today we went to the park - the five of us, plus three cousins from Salim uncle's side of the family and Arzina, one of Zed's BFF (best friends forever...lol). Had a lot of fun, running around like an idiot playing touch-football. I have a feeling I'll be sore tomorrow though, cause it's been a long time since I did anything even remotely "sporty".
Stayed up 'till 1am watching "Austin Powers" (the first one). Can't say I feel at all sorry for falling asleep towards the end of the movie...I can't imagine my life would have been that much richer had I watched the whole thing...

...Monday, May 3rd...

Went to the U of Alberta campus today with Hafiz and Zed. Considering what shitty weather we had it was actually a pretty nice campus - very green, or at least it probably is around late May or June.
In the evening the five of us went to the park again but this time we played baseball. Times like this I kinda wish I'd been more into sports when I was in junior high and high school, not seriously, but things like houseleague teams or whatever. Even just kicking a soccer ball around - in fact there was a point in grade 8 when we did that but for some reason it didn't last (I think the ball developed a puncture hole and no one felt like replacing it...) Oh well. I guess being a dork had its good moments too, heh heh heh...

...Tuesday, May 4th...

Zahida somehow trusted me enough to let me cut her hair. To my credit, it looked pretty good when I finished - no crying or vicious accusations, hurray!

...Wednesday, May 5th...

Went to West Edmonton Mall today with Zed and Fiz. He had to work but conveniently his job is a "games facilitator" at an arcade there so it was lotsa fun. Zed and I walked around for a while, had lunch, felt ill immediately afterwards and sat down for a bit, walked around some more and I found a great pair of jeans at Thrifty's. Then we went and played pool at the arcade 'till closing time. :)

I suppose that last one would be the hardest to come by...

...Thursday, May 6th...

The "Friends" series finale aired this evening and I've gotta say, it was rather anticlimactic. I don't suppose they could've done things at all differently and at the same time satisfied their audience, but then that just means their problems began much earlier in the season; they basically wrote themselves into a corner. Everyone already knew what was going to happen to the characters, there was no way Ross and Rachel wouldn't get back together and everyone else had plans taking them one way or another. Well anyway...I have the advantage of not really following the show until the last season so the re-runs aired every hour, on the hour are still delightfully amusing to me.

...Friday, May 7th...

Had a great day with the whole family today; Noor auntie and Hafiz and Salim uncle all stayed home from work and we went out together, running errands actually but with them it doesn't matter what you're doing, you have fun anyway :) In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner, called "Haweli". I had butter chicken with rice and "naan" (basically, a warm, thin pita with butter). *sigh* I know I always said I don't believe in worrying about my diet when I'm on vacation, but at this rate I'm not gonna be able to fit into my prom dress for the wedding I'm going to in Vancouver. My only comfort lies in knowing that at least I enjoyed my delectable demise...

...Saturday, May 8th...

Left Edmonton at 12:30pm, on a bus to Calgary to see Kali auntie, Altaf uncle and their kids: Zafir (15), Farrouq (13) and Jamila (10), as well as my Grammy from my mom's side. We had a barbeque dinner and dessert at the "Cheesecake Cafe" (Lord help the seams of that poor, poor dress...)

...Sunday, May 9th...

Okay FIRST of all, we woke up this morning to find everything outside covered in snow. SNOW! Yesterday it was 20� and sunny. And today in Toronto it was 26�. Hmph.
Today being Mother's Day, we went to Altaf uncle's mom's house. I was warned prior to our arrival that the "whole family" would be there...think: "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", with a tan...
Then it was off to Deerfoot Outlet Mall, where I didn't really find any "roaring bargains" as my dad would put it, but I did find stuff to polish and protect synthetic leather boots. It was hard enough to find skinny boots, I'm not gonna let them get all scuffed until I've gotten lotsa use out of 'em.
Went to Walmart after that, where Jamila and I bought some embroidery floss to make matching "cousin bracelets" :) While we were there, the Flames scored in overtime, winning Game #1 against the San Jose Sharks. Everyone in the store was cheering (having seen the goal on the TVs in the electronics department) and they even made an announcement on the store's P.A. system. It's like when the Leafs win in Toronto, except the Flames are actually getting close to the cup, which is more than we've been able to say for the past forty goddamned YEARS...
We went out for dinner, to a Chinese restaurant called Emerald Garden (what an original name for a Chinese restaurant too, huh?...) Very tasty - I had mango chicken and vegetable fried noodles. It's beyond me how Chinese people stay thin because I'm starting to get all pudgy around the hips and I'm pretty sure this wasn't helpful. I may have to rely on the rumours I've heard of my aunt in Vancouver being an excellent seamstress - maybe she can let my dress out a little...

...Monday, May 10th...

Jamila stayed home from school today and I taught her how to make friendship - I mean cousin bracelets. While we were working on them I watched my second-ever Indian movie - "Devdas". The plot was more soupy than a $3.99 romance novel from Shopper's Drug Mart but I'll give it this much - the visuals were amazing.
At around 3pm Salim uncle (not the one from Edmonton, this one's my dad's brother) came to pick me up and we drove to Bowden, which is 10 minutes away from Innisfail, which is on the outskirts of Reddeer (it's rather remote, in other words...). The weather was still crummy but it was so good to see Yazi auntie and my cousin Alykhan, and my grandma too (my dad's mom this time). Got a tour of their motel, it's a decent place.

...Tuesday, May 11th...

More snow today, except this time it brought its friends, rain and hail, along for the ride. Salim uncle took me to see Innisfail and Reddeer, and we had lunch at a seafood restaurant called "Joey's Only" - Tuesdays are all-you-can-eat fish & chips day :) Very tasty...screw the dress. The Flames won Game #2, 4-1...suddenly everyone's a fan...

...Wednesday, May 12th...

Bus back to Edmonton this morning. Was welcomed back as though it was my actual home, but was also surprisingly well-received by the cats - two of them, anyway. Lucifer first, though perhaps only because of his own vanity, his desire to be admired...doesn't matter, it was sweet :) Later on I fell asleep on the couch, and Pee (Pasha) curled up next to me, a rare show of affection from her. Nacho, my favourite, seemed broody - maybe he felt like I'd ditched him for four days heh heh heh...but I found him in my room at night and he paid his respects and then watched me pack (who knows what he'll think of me leaving again tomorrow...)

dad has been having very deep thoughts lately-he went into your room today and stood by the window for a little while and then came out and said "if we miss jehan so much already, imagine what it feels like when a kid dies?" so you are definitely missed here. even budd probably wishes you were here to pity and feed him since we have hastily begun attacking his weight "problem" as the vet referred to it. 24 pounds!! (btw the subject was referring to him) anyways that is all for now. seeee you.
cheers!
shaz.

...Thursday, May 13th...

Left the house at 8:15 this morning, which was considerably later than we should have since my train to Vancouver was scheduled to leave Edmonton at 8:55am...of course there was traffic too, and it began to look as though I wouldn't make it on time. Nora suggested calling VIA to see if the train was on schedule, and if so, if they could wait for me (it was that bad...). They put me on hold for a bit and all the while I was praying for some sort of miracle but what I got was not exactly what I'd expected: the train's anticipated arrival time was 11:35. Apparently (as I later found out at the station) there had been a freak snow storm overnight in Saskatchewan which had knocked out the train's signals and ended up making it 5 hours late. By the time we left Edmonton it was just past 1:30pm. I can't really complain because getting the train late was far better than not making it at all, but I guess it was one of those "be careful what you wish for" kinda deals..

...Friday, May 14th...

Arrived in Vancouver at around 11:30am, almost 4 hours late. Anticipation was killing me...at least the weather was beautiful though, especially appreciated after the winter-esque temperatures in Edmonton and Calgary.

...Saturday, May 15th...happy birthday, Shaz!...

Shay works at the museum of Anthropology at UBC, and because of this she received a "tourism passport" from the good ol' folks at Vancouver's Ministry of Tourism (or whatever the monkeys who look after it are called)- entitling her to two free passes to several different attractions. This couldn't possibly have happened at a better time! :D
Spent the day making the most of this passport, starting off with the aquarium at Stanley Park, followed by a horse-drawn trolley tour of the West end of the park's 1000 acres. We were thoroughly amused by the women sitting ahead of us who, despite warnings from the tour operator, didn't come back in time from a quick picture-stop and were left behind, requiring them to run after the trolley and, when they were finally let back on, angering them enough to huff over it for the rest of the ride's duration.
After having a bite to eat (it's pronounced "zeschwan" not "sezshwan"...) we headed to the H.R. Macmillan Space Center for an observatory show on constellations. Very relaxing...and I'm sure the guy sitting next to Shay, who fell asleep and was snoring fairly loudly, would agree :D
Last stop was the Harbour Center, a tower much like the CN tower in Toronto but not quite as tall. From the top you could see all of Vancouver and the surrounding areas, and even though it was raining it was fairly clear. Got a pretty good grasp on where things are in the city.

...Sunday, May 16th...

Drove to West Vancouver today to check out the view. You can see all of Vancouver spread out before you like a miniature village. Took some pictures with Ray and Shay ("Ray contemplating" was one of 'em :P ) Then it was off to "Stephos", the famed Vancouver Greek restaurant, for dinner - probably the best chicken souvlaki I've ever had. Greek food, I've decided, is one of my favourites. It's so tasty without being complicated - not like Indian food, for example, which is delicious as well but has so many different tastes going on that sometimes you need to balance it out with something simple and yummy. Enter pita slices with eggplant dip. :)
Dinner was nicely complemented with a drive to Ambleside beach. Must be nice to live in a place where your beaches aren't closed half the time due to hazardous pollution levels...

...Monday, May 17th...

Once again, thanks to that awesome tourism passport, Shay and I were out for most of the day. First stop was the Grouse Mountain skyride. More than once I came close to freaking out and not going - it's basically a car suspended on three cables that takes you al the way to the top of Grouse Mountain. Keep in mind that throughout the six-minute ride, there were only two support towers actually holding the cables up - this was worse than flying, even, because this thing wouldn't be able to support itself in mid-air should anything give way. It wasn't too bad if you didn't look down - of course, I did and then it was too late to not be scared almost (but not quite) shitless.
The ride was redeemed by what we found at the top, though; a coffee shop, uninspiring, but the seating area was a patio with a view of the city and the greenery surrounding it. It was so relaxing...until we finished our drinks and got back on the Skyride to return to the bottom. *sigh*
We also went to the Capilano Suspension bridge where Shay decided she'd had quite enough of nauseating heights and stayed behind while I made my way to the other side via a flimsy-looking bridge that swayed everytime anybody on it moved, which, of course, was ALL the time...but when I got to the other side, I was glad I'd gone. It was the kind of nature I truly love, completely unmanicured and wild, aside from the narrow paved walking paths. Just beauty all around...the trees were so tall and the leaves so dense that the only light that could filter in was tinted green, making everything seem to glow.

...Tuesday, May 18th...

As the last attraction on our list, Shay and I went for a cruise on the Berrard Inlet, along Vancouver's downtown. The sights themselves weren't exactly spectacular - for example, a huge dock where CN stores their extra cargo containers... - but the boat and the warm sun and the fresh air were all deliciously relaxing.
We met Yashu auntie after that for dinner at Earl's, where every afternoon wings are only $5/lb and they were damned good too. Went to a place called "Piece of Cake" after, where we had - what else - cake :)
Yashu auntie and I then went to Vancouver's main jamatkhane, which is what Ismaili prayer halls are called. This particular one, however, made me feel so proud to be an Ismaili - the beauty, the elegance, the attention to detail and symbolism found throughout the building...It was officially opened in 1985 by His Highness the Aga Khan and then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, but the architecture is timeless and doesn't look almost 20 years old at all. Surrounding the building are lush gardens and a large courtyard with a fountain. The whole effect is awe-inspiring.
When we got home, Ray and I went to Blockbuster and made the mistake of renting "Love, Actually"...a movie which, before seeing it, seemed half-decent to me. I suppose it's my fault for not realizing that, after all, it's a Hugh Grant movie...for almost 3 hours it followed the development of EIGHT different couples at Christmas time. Granted, it had a couple of funny moments, but as a whole it established very little plot and seemed to have been aimed towards lonely singletons who prefer to live vicariously through the many characters rather than trying to improve their own situation. As neither Ray nor myself currently fall under this description, we thought the movie would've been more appropriately titled "Cheese, Actually".

...Wednesday, May 19th...

Spent the day with Ray (hey, that rhymes!). We went to Robson Ave., which is like Queen St. W. in Toronto, and did some shopping. I found the casual black skirt I'd wanted for this summer at Zara (at a reasonable price too...I rather life their casual clothes section, they've got some great pieces and they don't necessarily cost an arm and a leg...)

...Thursday, May 20th...

Relatively quiet day; went to the mall to do some shopping w/Ray+Shay. "Dynamite" is currently one of my favourite stores - they have good prices, funky clothes, and their fitting is usually perfect too. I found an adorable tube top summer dress, kinda 60s style and a cute match with a jean jacket and tan or brown shoes (*cough* Birks! *cough*)
That's it. That's all we did today. Seems rather uneventful compared to every other day, doesn't it? heh heh heh...

...Friday, May 21st...

Another fairly quiet day; went to "Piece of Cake" again, this time with Ray, Shay, and two of their friends, Amin and Jessica. In the evening we went to something called a "piti", which is a traditional gathering the evening before a wedding, first at the groom's house (in this case, a hall at a friend's condo since the groom was from out of town) and then at the bride's house.

...Saturday, May 22nd...

THE WEDDING:
We first went to the actual wedding ceremony, which was at 1pm and was held in the large social hall of the Main Vancouver jamatkhane. It was so different from the other few Ismaili weddings I'd been to; everything, all the proceedings, were explained to the audience in English, and the mukhisaheb, who is the equivalent of a priest and who presided over the ceremonies, took the time to read a few words on the responsibilities of marriage - something I've never experienced but was happily surprised by. (lol...I gotta find me a husband, all this wedding talk is making me *moony*...)
The reception in the evening was so much fun, starting with getting all dressed up. I somehow managed to lose some weight since getting to Vancouver (wait a second...chicken wings, two huge pieces of cake and all that wedding food later and I've LOST a pound or two within a week??) but I wasn't about to complain when a miracle obviously occurred. The dress fit almost perfectly (I said I'd lost some weight, not all the extra pudgyness I'd wanted to :P ) In fact we all looked so good...typical that I'd go and leave my camera at home and therefore not get a SINGLE picture of the night. *grumble* I don't know what possessed me...well nevermind that. Everything else went beautifully - good food, good company, great fun, especially when the dancing started. Maybe I just got caught up in the happiness of the occasion, but I seem to have developed a liking for Indian pop music. It's just so much fun, even if all the lyrics mean essentially the same thing heh heh heh...we didn't leave the dance floor until the hotel management literally came and turned the lights on and called it a night. The whole evening was exactly what it should've been - a celebration of love and happiness and I think everyone left with that sort of feeling. For me, it was a perfect way to end my stay in Vancouver, with everyone in a good mood, if perhaps in need of some good old r&r...

...Sunday, May 23rd...

Seems to be a trend developing...this train was about 4 1/2 hours late leaving Vancouver too. *sigh* oh well. Hey you know how people say it's always boring to be on your way back home? Well people obviously don't love home as much as I do. :)

...Monday, May 24th...

Arrived in Edmonton at around 9pm. Felt like coming home (again...)

...Tuesday, May 25th...

Hafiz had the day off work, and Zahida and I finished early so we went for ice cream and milkshakes at Baskin Robbins, then to the "Wee Book Inn" to browse used novels. Found a copy of "Barometer Rising" by Hugh MacLennan, which is based around the Halifax harbour explosions of 1917. Doubt I'll finish Maupassant's "A Woman's Life" in time to read "Barometer" before - or even during - the next trip out East with the family but anyway, I'll be able to read it after having been to the city.
After that we went to see "Shrek 2" which I enjoyed quite a bit. I dunno if I loved it quite as much as the first but especially as far as a sequel goes, it was pretty good. I mean, how can you go wrong with a Spanish, sword-wielding, hairball-expunging cat?

...Wednesday, May 26th...

The final "farewell" to the Kassams...for real this time heh heh heh...