Mount Robson Provincial Park

Alberta didn't appear to be a likely move for us, but we are embracing it. We were in Alberta for a few short weeks before heading off to the Rockies. We had a couple backcountry camping trips planned. We took our sweet time getting to Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia, with stops at MEC, Cabela's and the trustworthy Sandman Hotel. 

Beautiful Mount Robson

This was my first trip to Mount Robson Provincial Park. It is incredible how quickly the flat prairies turn into impressive mountainous terrain. We had to pick up our backcountry camping passes in Jasper before heading to BC. I managed to doze off between Jasper and Mt Robson, and waking up to the towering Mount Robson was a jaw dropping sight. Our campground, Robson Meadows, was opposite the highway of the information center - prime location. 

Day 1: We spent one night in the full-service campground, reading and preparing for the hike. This was my first multi-day trip so I was a bit nervous. We tackled the approach to Mount Robson, called Berg Lake Trail. It is 23km one way, with an elevation gain of about 800 meters. It doesn't sound like crazy elevation, but a lot of the gain occurred over 8 kilometers. 

Are we there yet? So close to a plateau.

Berg Lake at Marmot Campsite

Day 2: After a little complaining and a lot of sweating, we (I) made it up the steep climb. The entire hike was gorgeous, but I was very happy to see the glacier off in the distance. Our destination: Marmot campsite. Originally, we attempted to secure a spot at the popular Berg Lake campsite, but it was full, and we were directed to Marmot. This little hiccup turned out to be an incredible spot. There were fewer tent sites and the view was spectacular. We met the other hikers at the tent site and shared hiking, kayaking and traveling stories. It was an early night for most of us. The rumble of the ice/snow cracking and falling into the lake was booming. 

Day 3:  We woke up, made breakfast, filled our water bottles and set off to Snowbird Pass Route. We didn't complete the entire loop. We made it to Robson Glacier and it was amazing. 

Rather than completing Snowbird Trail, we blazed our on trial and headed toward the base of the glacier, with caution, of course. I felt so small and somewhat insignificant standing next to the glacier. The sheer size and rapid receding of the glacier made me realize the magnitude of its depletion. We made it back to our site after a few hours of exploring and admiring the wonderful scenery. The evening was spent hanging around the 'cooking' area and chatting with our fellow hikers. It was another early night to bed. 

Day 4: Our packs were a bit lighter after eating most of our food. I was thankful for that. We packed up camp around 10:00am and made our way back to the parking lot, which was about 20km away. As difficult as it was gaining elevation, descending is challenging in its own way. 

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was hot, sunny and the summit of Mount Robson was visible each day. The last few kilometers were occupied by a lot of people as it is a very popular trail. My feet were full of blisters, but I was happy to reach the parking lot. We ripped those packs off, changed into sandals and made our way toward Jasper. We decided to continue on to Hinton to find a hotel and something delicious to eat. Thank goodness for Boston Pizza and Shoppers Drug Mart (blister repair). 

WE MADE IT! 

Running, Cycling and Paddling!

We're into June, which means one month left in Fredericton. We have several things on the agenda before leaving NB, mostly visiting and having a good time. This weekend was full of active fun. Alex completed the Who's Your Daddy Adventure Race and I finished my first duathlon. 5.6km run, 20.4km bike, 2.8km run in 1:24. I was happy with my time, especially for my first du, although I did learn that brick training would have been a good thing to do before this race. Overall, it was a positive experience and maybe I'll do another!

Who's Your Daddy - Natural Selection Adventure Racing

Moncton Subaru Duathlon with Hannah and Bobbie

These two ladies motivated me to get my butt in gear. I was feeling quite discouraged before the race because I attempted a 10km bike/4km run the Wednesday before and felt like I was going to die.. okay, maybe not die, but it was painful. The ladies got me up, made sure I was fueled and ready to go. I can't thank them enough for pushing me and keeping my spirits up.

Last weekend I participated in the Cabot Trail Relay in Cape Breton, NS with the Gagetown Gunners. It was an incredible experience and if you get the chance to get involved, I highly suggest doing so. I ran leg 16, which was 15.34km. There were incredibly talented athletes at this event. The atmosphere was supportive and encouraging all weekend, even throughout the night legs. Our team placed mid pack, coming in 35th out of 71 teams. I'm quickly crossing things off the Maritime to-do list.

Gagetown Gunners - Cabot Trail Relay 2013

As for preparing for our move across the country, we have several activities and events planned. We've been trying to skydive for several years now. This may be our last chance to jump out of that darn plane. At the end of the month, we'll be packed and ready for the 9 day trek across the country. We found a lovely duplex to move into with a garage, yard and loads of room. It'll be great to get there and settle in. 

My Last Week in Beijing, in a Nutshell

**This post was written in July but I forgot to post it. Apparently blog maintenance takes more time and effort than I anticipated - my bad**

Wow, I can't believe it's already that time to say goodbye to Beijing and all it has to offer. Living abroad is very different than being a tourist abroad. As my last few days in Beijing creeped up on me; I realized I didn't do all those wonderful touristy things one should. Sure, I went to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Temple of Heaven during my time here but I've been slacking. So, Jules and I put our heads together and planned out a week of tourism in Beijing. This post is a recap of my last week in Beijing.

National Museum

Our original plan was to go to the Eunuch Museum, but due to the rain we were forced to choose a more suitable venue. The Eunuch museum has outdoor displays and statues, and we didn't want our experience to be ruined by the rain. So, we decided to eat at Capital M (delicious) and then make our way to the Nation Museum of China. Upside: this museum is free. Downside: Chinese history/culture is very rich and it was a little overwhelming trying to take it all in. At one point, we realized we were wandering around aimlessly staring at pots, vases, scrolls, etc. It was at this point that we decided to make our exit. I was satisfied with the visit, and now I can tick it off the list. 

Challenge Accepted: An Act of Kindness

Tonight, I decided to take a cab back to my apartment. It is usually a 35-ish kuai cab ride, depending on the traffic. I hopped in the cab, told him to take me to Qing Hua Dong Lu. Normally, I have to say it a few times (my tones are terrible) before they understand what I am saying. This time I didn't have to repeat myself. When learning a new language, moments like this are confidence boosters. The small achievements are what bring the most satisfaction, like yelling at the fuwuyuan (waiter) to bring you another pot of tea, with no hesitation. This was a milestone moment for me. I knew I had a thirty minute commute to look forward to, so I decided to continue reading one of the books I started: The Happiness Project. I had just finished reading about the author's Ninth Commandment, to "Lighten up", when I realized that the taxi driver, was in fact, taking me to Qing Hua University not Qing Hua Dong Lu.  I did my best to tell him that he was taking to the wrong place, but he assured me that he knew where he was going. Five minutes later, I asked him to turn around and follow my directions. I was calm when trying to convey my concerns to him; I took it as an opportunity to practice my Chinese. More often than not, taxi drivers will try to take you the long way home to run the meter, but when he realized that he was taking me to the wrong place, he turned off the meter. We were another five minutes from my apartment and my cab fare was 46 kuai. I was slightly annoyed by his reluctance to listen to me, but having just read the "lighten up" section of my novel, I felt like this was a good opportunity to exercise this point.

I told the driver that it was no problem and we laughed about his misunderstanding. I was impressed that he turned the meter off well before we arrived at my apartment. I had every intention of giving him 50 kuai and leaving the change with him. It's not customary to tip in China, but I felt that he genuinely felt bad. I handed him the money, told him meiwenti (no problem) and started to exit the cab. He turned around and hollered at me, I was a little confused, and he gave me back 10 kaui. He wouldn't take my money and to my astonishment, he didn't even charge me the full 46 kuai fare. He payed 6 kuai out of his own pocket. Normally, taxi drivers are unfriendly but not this one. I wanted to leave him something for being a sincere person, and instead, he did me a service - an act of kindness.

Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur & Tioman Island

My recent travels (two weeks ago) took me to Malaysia to link up with my Aunt Ellen and her man Shayne, whom I like to refer to as my uncle. They have been traveling SE Aisa since March and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet up with them.

After exchanging several e-mails, we set a date and I booked my flight to Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Airlines was great. The staff were super friendly and I had a row entirely to myself (return as well). Ellen met me at the airport, took me to their accommodations and then we set out for a bite to eat.

Hua Shan and Xi'an

Finally, I got out of Beijing to do some hiking. I met an awesome girl at Ultimate who was looking to hike Hua Shan (Mount Hua) as well. Hua Shan is one of five sacred Taoist mountains in China. Before leaving Canada, I had it in my mind that I would do a lot of hiking. Regrettably, that hasn't been the case, but I can't complain because I've been on some serious adventures since I've been here.

We left Beijing Tuesday evening on the overnight train and arrived in Xi'an at around 830am on Wednesday. From Xi'an, we hopped on a bus to take us to Hua Shan, which is a two hour commute. We began our ascent for the North peak at around noon and made it there in just under three hours. This was much faster than we had anticipated. There is a section of the trail called Golden Lock Pass. It is a literal name, as the path is surrounded by iron chains that are covered in golden locks and red ribbons. You can get your name, and anyone else's name, engraved on the lock and then attach it to the chains. Once it is locked, it allows for family and friends to pray for your health and safety. 

Inner Mongolia (你妈妈爸爸忙马?)

Question: Was 42 hours on a train, to and from Inner Mongolia, worth my time? 

Answer: Without a doubt! 

Last week, eight of us packed out bags and set out for a desert adventure in Inner Mongolia. We opted out of seeing the grasslands and hopped on a 21 hour train to Western Inner Mongolia. Flying would have been ideal but not easy on the wallet. 

This was my first overnight train ride experience in China, and I survived, with few scars. Sleeping accommodations were fine. Like everywhere in China, there were a lot of people in a small space. There were six beds in one sleeper. We were all assigned to the top bed in different sleepers, which meant we didn't have a space where we could all fit. Thankfully, some very nice Chinese teachers allowed us to share their bottom bunk. They were playing card games the entire ride, and when the invitation to play with them was extended, I joined. If you're wondering what I learned, here it is: my Chinese is terrible; my Chinglish is also terrible; always have a fluent bilingual friend to explain card rules; I can now play euchre.

Update - 2 months

Hi All,

Can you believe it, it's been two months since I left Canada for Beijing. I can't get over how fast time is passing me by. On one hand, it is great because that means I'm much closer to seeing Alex again (can't come soon enough). On the other hand, I've been here for two months and my Chinese is still terrible. But, I am definitely learning a lot and seeing amazing things.

I will start off by evaluating my goals from last month:

Great Wall Class Trip

On Wednesday, all A-level classes took a trip to the Great Wall. I was very excited to go because it was a gorgeous day to be outdoors. My classmates like to poke fun at my love for the outdoors (apparently this is very Canadian of me). My favorite line of the day: "Oh look, the Canadian is in her natural habitat.

Once we arrived we were told to meet in the parking lot at 12:40, which gave us about just under three hours to wander around. Most of the students from my class were able to attend, plus one extra :)

We thought that all fees were included in our tuition fees, but little did we know that this only included transportation. We walked through the souvenir filled streets and eventually made our way to the gondola lift. Surprise, it's 60 kuai for a 30 second ride! I wanted to climb to the top anyways, so this was a great excuse for others to join me.

Qing Ming Holiday: Shenzhen, Hong Kong & Hainan

The Qing Ming festival, or Tomb-sweeping Day as it is commonly referred to as, is a holiday where you honor and remember ancestors by visiting their grave sites. The holiday is also a seasonal symbol that welcomes new life to country after the winter season. It encourages people to go outside and enjoy being in 'nature'. This year, the festival fell on April 4th, which meant that I didn't have classes April 2-4. Unfortunately, to make up for those days, the weekend was a working weekend; no days off for anyone, not even students. Ahh, only in China. 

Because I value my weekends, I decided to take the Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and the following Thursday and Friday off from my classes. My personal vacation dates were March 31st -April 8th :) I left beijing in the late afternoon, after an hour delay, and landed in Shenzhen that Saturday night. The hotel was amazing, but not as incredible as seeing Emma Russell!! 

Silver Mountain: CHECK; Pagodas: FAIL!

Today's adventure took us to Silver Mountain & The Pagoda Forest, which is roughly 50km North of Beijing's city center. The Pagoda forest is situated on a mountain and consists of peaks, cliffs and boulders. During the winter season, the mountain is covered in a silver-like snow, hence the name.

Let me start off first by saying that we couldn't have chosen a better day for hiking - it was absolutely gorgeous. Myself and five others hired a driver to take us north of Changping District to this beautiful location. Earlier this month was an international Strawberry Symposium in Beijing. On the drive to the mountain, it felt like we were driving through the World of Strawberry Shortcake. Another interesting observation: Beijing has a residential area called 'Vancouver Forest'. This real estate area is designed to  mimic the natural landscape of Vancouver. I must say, I did feel a touch of Canada while driving by and I had a moment of 'I wish I were back in Canada'.

Update - 1 month

Hi All,

I've been in Beijing for a solid month now and I thought I would update anyone who is interested in following along. I think monthly reflections on my time in China will give you an update and allow me to track my progression.

I am going onto week 4 of classes and I feel like I have learned a lot and nothing at all - how is this possible? I've learned that there is an enormous learning curve when it comes to this language. Everyday I am learning new vocabulary, which is great, but at the same time a bit overwhelming. I will be the first to admit that I haven't been the most studious since I have arrived. This realization that I won't just 'pick up' Chinese just hit me last week. So, in an actual attempt to learn Chinese, I will have to put forth more effort. No more falling asleep while studying and drooling on my pages. So, goal number one: study hanzi (characters) for 2 hours a day outside of class. I think Mary McKenna would be proud of my SMART goal. It is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. *Nerd alert for remembering this acronym!* After a plethora of classes on 'wellness' one would think that my goal setting skills would be well developed. Apparently I need to make it a goal to set more short-term goals.

Ming Village

A couple weekends ago, myself and six other friends ventured 90km outside of Beijing to the Cuandixia Ming Village. This village is has been virtually unchanged since it was built. During the Ming and Qing Dynasty, the village was built by a single extended family and consists of more than 70 courtyards.

It is truly an ancient mountain village. The roads are built from funky stone and wind throughout. There are approximately 500 rooms in the village and it is known for its local honey.

As we wandered about, we stumbled upon a 'honey for sale' sign. This kind old man gave us a sample of his honey -delicious! We bought 4 containers, I think, of this sweet treat. He said that if the season is good, he can gather enough honey to fill the barrel in two weeks. This is incredible as the season is only 40 days long. I wonder what they do with the rest of their time...

After spending a few hours here, 8 of us piled back into the 7 seater van. On our way back to the city we were stopped at some sort of check point. The driver said that if the van wasn't full of foreigners, resident permits, registration, etc., would have been required. Being an expat in China definitely does have its perks in circumstances like this.

 The 2 hour drive back to Beijing was pretty uneventful. I have a hard time sleeping in vehicles, planes, etc. so I stayed awake while the others slept, with exception of one.

Hiring a driver was definitely the best way to travel. In comparison to tours, we paid one third of the price. I recommend making sure that you have someone who can speak Chinese though. Thank goodness for Richard!

The Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven was heart of imperial ceremony and symbolism for five centuries. It was completed in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle. The temple was conceived as the meeting point between Earth and Heaven.

Round temples and altars stand on square bases. The reason for this is because Heaven was considered round and Earth square, thus 'Temple of Heaven'. The whole park is a semi-circle sitting beside a square.


Following the main path will lead you to The Round Altar, which consists of three marble tiers that represent Man, Earth and (at the summit) Heaven. The Throne of Heaven used to sit at the center of the top terrace, which was considered to be the middle of the Middle Kingdom.

Standing on the top terrace of the Round Altar

I entered the park at the North Gate and made my way through this large park. There were people dancing, running, walking, practicing kung fu and t'ai chi all over. The park is beautiful and tranquil with endless rows of trees and paths to wander on. I am told that the best time to visit the Temple of Heaven is early in the morning where you can witness people

The Summer Palace

I have been in Beijing for two weeks now and I haven't visited the tourist spots yet. I know I have several months to see everything here, but I am hoping to avoid the massive crowds by seeing the sights during the low season. The Summer Palace is only two subway transfers from the nearest station so I thought that would be a great place to start.

I will give you a little background information on the Summer Palace, also known as Yiheyuan. Empress Dowager Cixi (Emperor Xianfeng's concubine) ruled China in place of her son after Emperor Xianfeng died in 1861. Yiheyuan was considered Cixi's pleasure ground. She rebuilt palaces after they were destroyed by foreign troops. When her son died, she installed her nephew as Emperor and imprisoned him to retain her authority.

No happy endings at this massage

After that day of hiking, I thought it would be a great idea to get a nice foot massage. I was jokingly advised to exercising caution when choosing the right massage parlor because I might get more than I bargained for. We chose the first massage parlor that we saw and requested a foot massage. Once in, we were escorted to a private room where we spent the next hour and half. The massage started out with a lovely foot soak followed by a shoulder/back massage. I wasn't anticipating to have my shoulders and back tended to, so this was a nice surprise.

The foot massage was just what I needed. I was frightened though when I saw flames at the foot of my chair. I didn't realize that I was going to experience traditional Chinese cupping. It was an odd sensation and I was surprised that my feet didn't catch on fire! I was told that cupping is meant to increase blood circulation. I am not sure if I reaped the benefits of this technique, but it certainly didn't harm me. To finish off the massage, the therapist pulled out hammer-like tools and started pounding away at my legs. I think this part would have been more enjoyable if my calves weren't so sore from the hike.

Switchback Great Wall Hike

Last week I booked a hiking trip to a part of the Great Wall through Beijing Hikers (http://www.beijinghikers.com/). I am finally starting to feel a bit better which was great news to me because I didn't want to cancel the hike. We departed at 8:00am and traveled 2 hours North-West of Beijing to a section of the Great Wall called Switchback. This section was constructed near the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Our guides were knowledgable and fun. One of them wore a t-shirt for the entire hike, which is ridiculous because it was cold and snowing. He said he has been taking cold showers for 18 years and rarely gets cold! I managed to lose my Buff on the commute to the pick-up point. This doesn't surprise me because I have a tendency to misplace/lose a lot of things. This seniors moment was unfortunate because I didn't take an extra hat with me. Thankfully my hood provided me with enough protection. Maybe I should consider taking cold showers from now on so I don't end up in these predicaments..

Is that fog? Nope, it's SMOG!

I felt that it was necessary to dedicate an entire post to my inability to adjust to the air quality. I knew that the level of pollution was significantly higher here than anywhere else in the world, but I didn't realize I would adjust so poorly. I suppose that is what some would call naive, but I like to call it wishful thinking. Whatever you want to call it, I am not benefiting from my optimism.

I don't get sick very often. I have been in Beijing for 11 days and I have been sick for nearly half of those days. I contribute it to the nasty particles polluting my lungs. In an attempt to fight this chest cold, I have resorted to Chinese medicine and some good o'le Vitamin C.

In hopes of ridding myself of this cold I am trying some Chinese medicine.

Life as a student at BLCU

Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)

For those of you who don't know, I am studying Mandarin at BLCU in Beijing for one semester (20 week program). My studies started late February and run until early July. I am a very beginner class and with students from 15 other countries. In a class of 20, you become very familiar with your fellow classmates whether you like it or not. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason as to why others are studying Chinese. Some are in the same situation as me; they have graduated from post-secondary studies and are in between phases of their lives. Others are learning Chinese because they are interested in studying or working in China down the road, and some of my classmates thought it would be a great adventure to spend 6 months abroad. Whatever their reason for being here, I am glad others are joining me on this quest for learning the 'hardest' language in the world. 

Let's try Chinese food (?)!

If you know me then you know that I enjoy cooking, baking and experimenting in the kitchen. Because it is so cheap to eat out, I haven't been cooking. To be honest, I don't think I will do much cooking for myself while I am here but I do hope to learn how to prepare an authentic Chinese dish at some point.

Since I am not able to experiment in the kitchen, I have decided to try everything that is put in front of me - yikes! This could end very badly but so far, I have had more success than failure. I've managed to try massive dumplings, deep fried everything, duck legs, pigeon, and many other dishes that I can't identify. I have learned that it is better to not ask and just enjoy. I tried duck feet for the first time last week. The texture was not overly pleasant. When cooked, the webbing becomes slimy and chewy, and the cartilage is tough. In addition to the unpleasant texture, the feet were tossed with wasabi. I wasn't particularly fond of this dish but on the bright side, it did open up my nasal passage. 

While browsing around the supermarket, I stumbled upon packaged chicken feet. I figure that while in China I should do as the Chinese do, so I bought them. I also bought dragon fruit and what appears to be some sort of Asian candy.