Tuesday 4 October 2011

A quiet day

A type of house I love, Drumheller
Yesterday was my first full day in Edmonton and since Henk hadn't planned any interviews, I was able to do as I pleased. Instead of going to see the sights I decided to just drive around a bit and see where I would end up. See what the housing looked like and the shops. So, I got into my car and started driving. Turning left and then turning right and I ended up at a supermarket. While in Airdrie we had also visited that supermarket and as long as I can remember Kay's phone number I can get a small discount. The only drawback: I get called Miss D a lot! But, that's a small price to pay for a few cents off...

Fire hydrant, Drumheller
For some reason I then exited the supermarket somewhere else and I found myself in a shopping center. I walked around looking at a lot of shops and finally wound up at a 'Zellers' (correct me if I am wrong), which seemed to be selling almost everything: from jeans and sweatshirts to barbecues and vacuum cleaners. Looking at some of the prices I was on occasion quite shocked. I mean nearly $500 for a barbecue? Pre-tax?? Are they joking here? And then I realised these weren't bbq's like the ones which are sold in the Netherlands, these were state of the art kitchen-like jobbies!

I did like the hoovers though. They were extra powerful to deal with pet hair. Of course they could just be saying that, but I have never seen something similar on the hoovers sold in the Netherlands. Mind you, I don't think I ever really went hoover shopping either...

Tim Hortons, Edmonton
More about him/it soon
I got back to the hotel fairly early and as I took my phone out, I realised I had had three texts. Henk (my agent) had arranged for me to meet a Dutch immigrant, who happened to be in the area. So, I drove up to meet this man and spoke about two hours with him. He is a truck driver and has been here just over 4 years. His experiences are quite different to those Jacky and her husband lived through, but it was good to hear them. He came here on his own and is a truck driver in heart and kidneys (as the Dutch saying goes), loving the open road and thinking all Canadians are bad drivers!

So, my day was filled with experiences and learning moments (Oprah moment here) and today it will continue. I will keep you posted...

6 comments:

  1. If you're going to go to Tims, I hope you know your terminology: double-double, triple-triple etc. Kidding -- sort of.

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  2. You hardly screamed, and seldom tried to jump out while I was driving. You must be braver than that truck driver.
    Lindy says to say she misses you. However, her daddy will be home today, then she'll forget all about you (and all about me, too).

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  3. Your market studies are interesting ! did you see a lawn mower robot, don't laugh but I seriously think about buying one when they become cheaper they did already from 1500 to 780 € (same model) As long as I can mow the lawn myself I can wait !

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  4. I'm glad you're having a good time, Mara. When I lived in Calgary, we visited all these places too. And what's a trip to Canada with an introduction to Timmie's. I'm partial to the double-double, myself.

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  5. I hope you are loving it. It seems kind of exciting to be exploring the place you want to live. I have a self-propelled Hoover!

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Any weighty (and not so weighty) comments are welcome!