dryer for wet children in Stanley Park,
Totems in Stanley Park, Vancouver, we went for a morning walk
At cultural night we were able to watch some First Nation dancing, this performer, stole the show!
I wanted to see snow, but got to walk on a glacier, which was pretty cool!
Wednesday night we choose Greek, Pete had suvalaki, I had garlic prawns, (no big surprise hey family?) had a red Aussie wine and Pete is going to try all Canadian beers so had his third for the week. (7/10 $60CAN)
Thursday we walked down to the main drag and picked Thai – stir fry pork for Pete and stir fry prawns for me, (6/10 $40CAN)
Friday we were on the bus tour and Pete had a Ribs & I had Southern Fried Chicken (just pub food,) 5/10 $40 CAN.
Saturday in Bamff, we had bought food for lunch and finished it for dinner, grain rolls, smoked chicken, salad and juice. ($30CAN for four serves)
Sunday in Lake Louise at the Alpine Resturant Pete had a 6 oz steak and I had terriyki chicken. ($70CAN ) ripped off 6/10
Monday in Calgary first home cooked meal at Lorne’s house – chicken salad with crusty bread.
Tuesday, second home cooked meal pasta!
Hey all, I met a wonderful First Nation guy Lorne Clearsky, at the Conference who invited us back Calgary, Alberta so we made our way through the Rockies via Bamff and Lake Louise and have been enjoying his hospitality and company for the last two days. We’ve visited a sweat hut, and Bow River Cultural centre, which is due to be opened next month, an amazing place. I also got to check out the local Elbow River First Nation Downtown health clinic. There are celebrations for National Aboriginal Week for the First Nations – similar to our NADIOC week, so its been really interesting and wonderful to meet so many people who are so welcoming. We will fly back to Vancouver on Thursday night to leave for Alaska on Friday…… Pete is working on downsizing photos to post on the site and will write more when we get on the CRUISE!.
take care and keep in touch via the site all!
I’ve decided to write a daily comment on meals and where we had them plus the costs. Hope its not too boring. I’ll rate them out of 10 as we go. 10 being the most yummiest.
Saturday on plane, quite bland and unimpressive. 3/10
Sunday morning Dim Sum on the Hong Kong Waterfront in a very flash place. Trilby & David paid for us. Lots of spicy yummy food to settle our stomachs for the long flight to Vancouver. 8/10 We had breakfasts at the Hotel and lunches at the convention centre.
Sunday night in Vancouver at Portavillas in Gastown, pizza, soup, salad and squid done really well 9/10 ($55CA).
Monday night ate traditonal food at Cultural museum, followed by, prawn & papaya salad, squid. 8/10 ($35CA).
Tuesday night crossed road to eat at the very famous (Pete’s happy!) BHAGDAD CAFE, turkish chicken /lamb with rice, dips, tabeuli. 6/10 ($30CA)
According to my husband, my presentation was very good, so not sure if that is a bias opinion or what, but there were about 50 in the room with good questions and positive feedback from several others. The conference is big with about 2,000 people from around the globe, but every second person is from Australia! There have been a few clashes with presenters, and the organisaitonal aspects are poor, but I’m glad I’m not involved with it. Met some good contacts at the conference, a Canadian Indian man, and head of Indian Health services for US, left my card with them and hope to get some good outcomes.
I’ve decided to miss a few sessions already and check out the town, which is quite large (Perth’s size population though) with lots of poor and homeless begging on nearly every corner. HEY there is snow on the mountains across the river. Sea planes landing, ferries crossing, cruises leaving and everyone very friendly. Hope the rest of the trip is this good. We are changing hotels for the last two nights, near a park and some bush, going a little stir crazy in this ‘heritage’ hotel, which basically means pockey! We catch the bus on Friday to the Rockies.
Cheers to you all, I can’t believe I’m walking around with a short sleeve polo shirt on (my light weight coat over it) AND can see snow just over the river how about that for a beach babe from Adelaide!!!!!
Julie and Pete
At the airport, Jenny, Lana, Shey, Teylan & Clyde gathered at the coffee shop for breakfast and farewell wishes. Jenny & Shey were both holding up with mild doses of the flu – so we were glad we didn’t end up with the sniffles yesterday. The flight to HK was uneventful and smooth, we were able to get a bulk head seat, so we spread out and although we didn’t sleep, we were able to rest in comfort. At the immigration counter, they wanted our filled in entry form (which they did not give us on the plane) so after lining up forever we get to the counter and have to move aside to fill in the form. The guy put Pete’s passport to the side we didn’t realise, so a mad frantic search ensured that our hearts were pounding. Not what we needed to start our trip. That sorted, we were bused into to HK and saw the city at its best, lights and rain reminding me of Darwin tropics. The hotel was comfortable and right in town, so we got to see some of the busy streets and shops. Saturday night down town was a real event. We got up early and went for a walk in the park – then met David and Trilby on the harbour for an eating event that will be right up there in the top ten for me with about 20 dishes of Yum Chuw prawns, chilli, noddles – yep-my kind of breaky!…
Taxi back to the hotel, bus to the airport, and on then the eleven hour flight to Vancouver, which was in a jumbo, with lots of space in the bulkhead area, we didn’t sleep, so hopefully we can get a good night rest tonight before I present tomorrow.
I am now happily settled in at the Ramada Downtown hotel and heading down to the conference centre soon and grabbing a bite to eat, wanna see what sort of food they have to offer here!
take care, we are doing well so far, not a lot to do except attend the conference
Cheers
Julie and Pete
Just for the record;
‘Warrendi’ means ‘to seek’ and is from language of the Nurrunga/Kaurna people from South Australia. Julie is a Nurrunga woman.
The photograph in the header was taken at sunset on Cable Beach, Broome.
Our travel plans are finally falling into place, 6 days before we leave Oz!
June 9th. – Depart Perth on a noon flight with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong where we overnight.
June 10th. – am. Breakfast with Trilby and David, Nick’s friends.
- 2pm. Head for Vancouver on Cathay. Arrive early evening. Spend the next few weeks in or near Vancouver. Julie is presenting a paper at an international conference on Indigenous Health during the first week and we have plans to visit some indigenous organizations iin the surrounds of Vancouver in the second week.
June 22nd – June 29th. – Aboard the cruise ship Volendam through the Inside Passage to Seward in Alaska.
June 29th – July 7th. – Staying with Shannon and Marlin Atkinson in Seward. Shannon was one of Peter’s PhD students and is now Research Director at the Alaskan Sea Life Research Centre.
July 7th – July 12th. – Touchdown on the US mainland in San Francisco where we will catch up with last year’s Indigenous Fulbright Scholar Samia Goudie and get the feel of downtown USA. July 12th – Fly to Phoenix, Arizona which will be our base (at the State University of Arizona) for the following 7 months. We’ll keep you informed of our progress.
Well its a week till we leave and the house is slowing becoming empty. Pete has filled you in on some details, I just wanted to see if this is going to work for you all. I’ll send it on with a photo of Guinness who is not aware he will be going to live on a farm with cows and tractors, leaving his kingdom in Australind.
I’m sure our trip will be amazing, but at the moment, the cold weather and the packing/cleaning/odds’n'ends we have to do is hindering my excitement. Take care and keep warm. Julie.
Hi there. This is my official Fulbright picture. How about the cool hat and the beautiful painting by Jack Britten as backdrop.
