This place has been nice.
Every time I look out the window I am a little surprised by what I see, even though I've been here for a long while.
I feel at peace whenever I accidentally glance outside because I see this blue shining lake, with all the trees and green mountains.
It catches me by surprise and I suddenly feel calm and peaceful, even if I'm in the middle of cooking or doing the dishes or just online shopping.


All that being said, I'm still SO excited to go home because I can't wait to go EAT.
My mouth keeps watering when I think about all the things I want to eat.
At the top of the list right now is Japanese food, especially sashimi and oyster motoyaki and sunomono...

And then Chinese food, as in deep-fried squid and chicken wings and pork chops and noodles and overcooked vegetables and chicken hearts and sausages and steamed shrimp and mussels.

And then Greek food too.

Also I am missing my dog and my friends and my car and my rooms.


However, I won't be pleased with the temperature.
I am already moping here and it is 5 degrees cooler than Vancouver almost every day.

If I were in charge of the seasons with no consequences, I'd just wipe out summer.
Begone, hot, sweaty, shiny, cheerful crap.

And winter because it is wayyyyy too cold.

So we'd just have spring and fall, except I get hay fever in the spring.

We'd just have autumn, all year long.

It is just way too warm for my liking.
I can't fall asleep with covers on.

When I'm walking around in a tanktop and shorts, it is too hot.
What is this crap?
If I wanted to be sweaty all the time, I would go back to Taiwan.

On the surprising side, I realized that being slightly warm all the time makes my cheeks pink instead of pale.

Not even flushed pink as in I'm-so-sweaty-and-red-and-looking-terrible.
But pink as in I-look-healthy-and-I-might-have-just-done-yoga-and-showered-but-probably-not.


On the other hand, Farhad just crashed in and said, "Do we have anything to give Jim (our neighbor) for dinner?"
I said, "Sure, if you give me half an hour."
Farhad said, "Well actually, I need it like, now."
I said, "Then I can only make him a sandwich."
Farhad, "Ok then, make him a sandwich."
I said, "Ok then, I need five minutes."
Farhad, "Well actually you have two minutes, before he tries to go to town to eat dinner."
I said, "Why don't you just tell him we'll give him dinner?"
Farhad, "Because then he won't take it."
Me: .............
Farhad: "Hurry! It's the sandwich making contest!"

So then it was the sandwich frenzy where I microwaved the bread (instead of toasting it) and didn't have time to let it cool before I put lettuce on it.
So then the bread was really hot and the lettuce was a tad cooked limp against the bread.
Then I started to heat a bowl of soup, also in the microwave, except then the two minutes was up and Farhad came crashing back in again and took it all and I'm not sure if the soup was actually heated through.

I'm don't noe if I will ever have face to see the neighbor again, after giving him slightly cold soup and a sandwich with cooked lettuce.

Okay, so I am slightly thinking about almost starting to begin to kind of pack to go home.
Exactly one week left here.
But I don't even know what to leave here, as I am coming back.


Topic hop.

What is with Facebook?!

Like, when someone wants to add you as a friend, they should be FORCED to fill in how they know you.
Not just as an option.
Like, Oops! You forgot to fill in how you know them!

And they would just have to.
Or they can't send you a friend request at all.

Cause Facebook just assumes that you would remember someone if they had 23 common friends with you.

But I am just really stupid.

And I don't remember these people.
And so I don't want to accept them.

Cause then when I scroll through my friends list, I can't find my real friends anymore.
And then I don't check out their walls and new photos.
And that blows the whole point of Facebook.

So then I have to pretend that I don't go on Facebook, and didn't see it, so it's not rude that I'm ignoring their request.
Except it's not even really pretending, because I go on Facebook like once a month.


I really want deep-fried pork chops and 梅乾菜 and Japanese food in general.


Also, it is interesting how whenever I want to type "hat", my fingers automatically type "hate" instead.

I think that is a clue at how often I trash things.
Or people.

And it is also fun because I have bookmarks named "Beige hate with red bow" and "White lacy hate".

Okay, so I'm leaving from Whitehorse August 4th at 10pm to go back to Richmond.

And I'm going to head to a Japanese restaurant (probably Jiang4 Tai4) the very next day and eat until I can't speak anymore.



There is this really hardcore side to Farhad.
Personal breakthrough wise.
Like, I really don't look to achieve much for myself.
I mean, what is the point with going through sooo much work and hard moments when you can just sit and eat and watch other people do it?
That is probably also why I'm going to get a heart attack when I am 25.

But anyway. Like he used to get up at 5:30 just so he can jog to work in the morning.
And then he'd bike home.
And do the reverse the next day.
Instead of drive, like normal people would.
Or just not work, like I would.

And last year, and the year before, he went for runs while it was snowing.
Just to test himself.
Like, wtf? Why are you trying so hard?
You only live once.
Just eat.

Anyhow, he decided that we should drive across the lake, and I should drop him off there and he'd swim back home.
I laughed a little.
And then I realized that he was serious, because he kept asking me to do it.
So today, we did do it.
At 6:00pm (just like any normal person would want to do after 8 hours of work...) we drove to the other side of the lake, he walked into the water, and started swimming for the other side.
It was ridiculous. It took us a good 15 minutes to drive to the other side of the lake.
And this is on the highway, so we are talking driving at highway speed here.
Now, I know that is the circumference and he only needed to swim the diameter, but IT IS INSANE.

We calculated that it would take roughly an hour to walk across the lake if we had the power of Moses.
But we didn't, so we had to calculate how long it would take him to actually swim in the water, because it was AGAINST the tide. (The tide was just crashing in like crazy, and he was just walking down into it, casually pulling his swimming goggles on as though he is normal.)

We decided on a rough estimate of a 2 hour swim.


After giving him a 20 minute head start, I got in the car (6:36pm) and drove home.
I won, because he wasn't home yet. But I was humble about my winnings as usual.
I got some binoculars and went down to the lake to scan the lake for him.
These are good binoculars. But I couldn't see him.
But I did see some people in a boat, coasting around where Farhad should be swimming, so I felt that he was safe enough.
Unless the boat hit him.

So I decided to go home and have some jello.

At 7:32pm, he phones me.
He has pulled himself ashore, walked around, and borrowed a cellphone from a man taking a walk.
I drive to go pick him up.
He was a 5 minute drive away on the highway.

After almost an hour and a half in the lake, he decided that I would be worried if he didn't get out.
Which I would have been, maybe after another fifteen minutes.

He sounds like he is interested in doing it again...
Except he expects me to not be worried next time so he can finish the lake.
... Hmm.

So we get home, he takes a shower, and then goes back to work (8:00pm).
... I don't noe.
I don't think I do as much all day as he does in the first hour of his day.

Wow! It's day 22!
Well, I don't hate it here.

My bumpies have stopped spreading, so I assume they are on their way down.

I love you, Benadryl.
And Aveeno.

When I was looking at the anti-histamine medication I was getting soooo pissed.
Screw all this non-drowsy crap, Hell-O, I'm looking to blackout during the day.
And during the night.

I would really just like to wake up completely and magically healed.
Like a Jesus/Tom Cruise miracle.



On another topic...

OMFG I am SO broke!
I have GOT to stop this online shopping thing!
I spent more money these 3 weeks than I do 5 weeks in Richmond!!

Like how when fat people try to stop eating and instead end up stuffing themselves in a binge?

I have tried to get away from the shopping malls and LOOK WHAT HAPPENS!!

This is fate. I cannot run from destiny.
I just end up fulfilling it online instead.

So two days ago I started getting tiny weenie little pink bumpy dots over my body.
New ones hurt a little while they form, and then become itchy after.
They are tiny!


Anti-itch creams are not working too well.

They are really itchy, so I have taken Benadryl.

......Zzzzzzz...

There are soo many animals here.
Loons, tiny frogs, woodpeckers.

Woodpeckers are really small.
They sound like machine guns when they are going at the trees.
The are very cute, and the sound is very soft, so I have not minded them at all.


Except this morning, it seems one of them has mistaken our house for a huge tree.

I don't know, but I think pecking on the roof pretty much draws the line.

Peace treaty section one: Do not destroy our house.
Insolent little woodpecker.

Gosh, they are adorable.

I drove a diesel 4x4 truck today.
Wowz! I can barely drive a sedan/SUV!

I went with Farhad to deliver fuel, and he let me drive.

Anyhow, here are pix to semi-prove it.



This is Farhad using my camera as he also signals to help me back up next to the fuel unloading place.
Have no doubt, I was left alone maneuvering in the truck at this moment.






This is me, slightly alarmed at being asked to control the truck all by myself.







Here is me being very excited for being allowed to drive the truck.

.



Annie's truck. Duramax Diesel +2500 Heavy Duty.

High speed internet is finally up, after stalling, stalling, issues, some more stalling, and some more issues.
Thank Tom Cruise.

I am now free to shop online-I mean, er... log into Kwantlen at high speed.

And play Guild Wars, RAWR!



Also I have found that a TINY squirrel smaller than my fist lives on a tree outside our window.
He thinks I am in his backyard.
I think he is in my backyard.
It will be the fisticuffs.



Two days before I came to Yukon:

Farhad: "I think you can be friends with a girl who works at the library here."
Me: "Really? Why?"
Farhad: "Because she looks like Erica."


This is actually a pretty cool way to find out that your boyfriend thinks you chose your friends based on how much they look like the friends you have already.

And also, she looks nothing like Erica.
And also, I don't think Farhad knows what Erica looks like.

So they lied to me.

My high speed internet won't be up until Monday.

I'm really starting to miss decent internet =/
And Guild Wars.

*Sulk sulk*


I drove to town all by myself today!
To buy food, obviously. Nothing else can motivate me so.

In Home Depot:

Me: "Hey, look at this!"
Farhad: "Yeah, we can buy that if you want."
Me: "Nah, it's OK, I have everything I need."
Farhad: "You're so nice, Annie. You're low maintenance and sweet."
Me: "......I need a lot of food though."




After a few days of cooking, I take a break:

Farhad: "What's for lunch?"
Me: "Um... do you want instant noodles, cup instant noodles, or spicy instant noodles?"



Farhad's gone on an overnight flight.
This is supposed to happen once in a while.

I don't mind though.
It gives me time to do things like putting on my face masks while singing super loudly (this makes me feel pretty.)
And then cooking and eating whatever and however much I want (since I've already done my beauty bit I can afford to eat.)
And dancing in my PJs while the pots boil over.

There was some caribou.

The people around here hunted last season and brought it back as game meat.
They fly here from the big cities, get flown out some more to a hunting camp, and then truck out to a hunting shack and then go out to hunt.

Apparently it is super healthy to eat completely wild meat.

And it's great because the piece they gave us was wrapped in crap waxed paper and there was blood dripping all over the fridge.
Farhad expressed his thankfulness of my having anything to do with this bloody meat as he knows I hate to.

Anyway, caribou meat smells like lamb.
Obviously I was not too thrilled about this as I really dislike lamb.

But as I cooked it, the smell faded.

Plus, it chews like beef and swallows like duck, so I decided that it’s not bad.

 

 

It takes me 4 minutes to load the Hotmail sign in page and 50 seconds to sign into MSN.
I have never gotten such a good look at the loading html setup on many websites.

 

Farhad insisted on getting me high-speed internet which will be set up on Friday.

It is insanely expensive.
Everything here is expensive too.

Annnnnnd Farhad just squished a mosquito against my laptop screen.

So I have Farhad's internet USB stick thing.
It is mad slow, but at least it works.

I have 3 mosquito bites that I know of.
Two from the trip of the terminal building to the car.
One from sitting in the room.

I have found that I still do rather like the bit of flights where the plane speeds up real fast and lifts off.
And the part where the plane is 100 feet from the ground and landing.

...That's it though.
Which was fine this time because the flight was only 2 hours.
But on other flights I want to rip my head off in frustration.

I watched Race To Witch Mountain on the flight here.
Which I wanted to watch for a long time but kept forgetting about.

Farhad picked me up at Whitehorse and we drove for 4 hours to Watson Lake.
During which I slept with my head crooked and mouth hanging open for an hour, I was told.

Me: “When I pull on your hair like this, your forehead moves like a weird monkey.”

Farhad: “Thank you for liking me.”

 

Me: “No! HMPH!”

*Crosses arms and haughtily turns face to the side*

Farhad: “…You have mosquito bites on the side of your face.”

Farhad: "... And then the pressure is unstable and there is a lot of air flow."

Me: "...Mmmm."

Farhad: "Annie just doesn't care what I say. She just shakes her head or says 'yeah, you're so smart' but I know that she's not really listening and she just doesn't care what Farhad says."

Me: "...... Hahahaaha!"

Farhad: “You can put your stuff anywhere, but the closet in the big room is nicer so you can have it.”

Me: “It’s fine. I want to put all my stuff in the smaller room.”

Farhad: “But I want you to use the nice stuff!”

Me: “No, it’s okay, I want the small room.”

Farhad: “But… Why?”

Me: “Because we are sleeping in the big room and I want my own space all to myself.”

Farhad: “…Whoaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Me: “So if you want to move your suitcase out of the small room that would be good.”

Farhad: “Hahaha!”

Me: “And don’t worry, once I take that desk from the big room for myself, you will have more space.”

Farhad: “You want to take everything!!”

Me: “I will go sit in bed and read while you clean up the kitchen.”

 

 

... Goodbye, Erica.

Okay so I'm finally in a slightly panic-ish mode because every time I see something or use something I remember that I really need to pack it.
Also I am frantic because I had already been packing ahead of time and I am STILL nowhere near done!

Plus I'm also nervous that I will run out of room because my belongings and food are all so important to me.
Because my dad has taken the other big suitcase in our house so I have to settle for one big suitcase and one small suitcase.
Which is SO not enough!
I would get huffy with him except the one he took is really HIS suitcase so I don't see how I would win the argument.

I totally meant to get loads of packing done in the last few days, but I just had so much to do...
Like... go out with my friends, and eat, and watch dramas on the internet and play with my dog.

Plus I was busy finishing one of the novels that I originally bought to read while I was up north.
I couldn't resist, it looked soooo good, and then once I started I had to finish it.

And I spent half a day painting my sister a picture for her birthday, and then framing it.
And then trying sooo hard to get the blue chalk pastel stains off my carpet but failing and my mom is not going to be happy when she sees it.

So yeah, I was packing just now and I was so frantic and worried that I was sweating through my shirt.
So I decided to stop and take a break.
Because really, the best thing to do when you are short on time is to sit down and blog about it.

Farhad: "Did you know that a tsunami killed fifteen thousand Taiwanese people a couple years back?"
Me: "... What?!?!??!?! That's so weird, where was it from?"
Farhad: "Um.... I don't know."
Me: "That's the weirest thing! I never even heard about it. And Taiwanese people have the strongest guts from eating their own food-"
Farhad: "...Tsunami?"
Me: "... OH!!!! AHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!"
Farhad: "...What?"
Me: "I thought you said 'salami'!"



Mom: "Wow, I'm stuffed. Okay, let's clean up now."
Me: "I caaaan'ttt... I'm too full, I can't move."



Me: "These taste different from the ones in the store."
Mom: "These are the most famous brand."
Me: "I know, but the ones in the store taste better."
Mom: "Ok. You can go ask them what brand it is next time. I'm going to put the food inside this plastic bag so it can go in the fridge. You can find it right?"
Me: "Why do the ones in the store taste better?"
Mom: "...... Look, this plastic bag. Don't tell me you can't find it next time."
Me: "Do you think it's the same brand, but they add something to it?"
Mom: "......"