Next week I am off to sunny (I hope) L.A. for the Creation Salutes Serenity convention. I haven't had a vacation in a dog's age, so I'm really looking forward to a change of scenery, and a chance to visit Los Angeles again (last time was 1973 ( Read more... )

My second exchange student in the Faculty of Extension English course, left for home (Japan) yesterday. Today I have the house to myself and it feels like something is definitely missing. She was an interesting roommate to have, and I think she really enjoyed it here. The "Heroes" season premiere was Monday night, and we bonded in the scenes with ( Read more... )

I'm probably reeeaally dating myself, but tonight while watching Mad Men, I noticed a very distinguished older gentleman guest starring, and saw later in the credits that it was David Selby. He started on TV in the 60's in Dark Shadows, a soap opera about vampires. Remember that? Oh, he has aged well. Still very handsome and has a great voice. Must ( Read more... )

The Japanese extension student who is living with me is named Emika. She is 19 years old and very shy. It's hard to relate to one so young, especially since she doesn't speak much English. I'm sure she finds reading and writing English much easier than speaking it. She can now get to school and back home by bus by herself. The University had a ( Read more... )

The Edmonton Fringe festival is now over, and I saw some wonderful theatre productions during the course. Downer that it seems summer is over when the Fringe is... but the weather is holding up nicely at this point so I can't complain. My usually joyful theatre experience was marred this year by stomach problems. Don't really know if it was a sort ( Read more... )

It is a sunny Sunday here, and I have been invited to a birthday barbecue on the east end of the city. Should be fun! I am bringing marshmallows and my Korean roommate. He was planning on going to Calgary with some friends this weekend, but with the Calgary Stampede going on, there are no available hotel rooms. So he is stuck with me, and doing ( Read more... )

Day Two of my great adventure with the reserved Korean student to whom I am assigned. At noon I took him on the route he will take to get to his school, then we spent a few hours downtown, taking in the Street Performers Festival. Sunny, funny, warm and yet relaxing. I'm mentioning sunny because the current weather forecast is for rain the next two ( Read more... )

A while back I signed up with the local University in the Homestay program (billets for foreign students coming to Edmonton to study English) and yesterday I picked up my first student. He is from Korea and his name is Byung. He speaks very halting English but so far is enjoying the place. It was a 14-hour airplane ride from Seoul yesterday so he ( Read more... )

I made it home unscathed from Vulcan's Galaxyfest, and as conventions go, it's not as lame as you might think. Though, I am such a convention freak that I am hard pressed to not enjoy any science fiction convention. Vulcan is a tiny farming town far away from civilization... very hot and dry (not kidding) but the people there are very warm and ( Read more... )

I am going to Vulcan for the weekend. The planet Vulcan. (I wish!) I hope this isn't the one that was destroyed recently in an alternate universe... I will be on the road tonight when the Stanley Cup final game happens (me sad). GO PENGUINS!!

When it comes to Star Trek, Albertans really know how to party. Leave a comment