Well, I just finished unpacking from yet another fabulous trip to Mexico. I arrived late last night and basically just went to sleep and got up and went to work. I'm finally settled in back at home. I wish I wasn't, though, the trip was absolutely amazing!!!
I decided to just stay up after the bowling party because there was really no point to going to sleep for a few hours and risk missing my flight. At 5AM the cab picked me up and whisked me off to the airport. The flight was long down to Guadalajara but I made it on time without any difficulty. Sofi and her dad picked me up at the airport and we drove an hour south to Ciudad Guzman, the town (town! of 160,000!) where Sofi and her family live. It was late so we just went to bed. In the morning me and the whole family piled into the SUV and headed west. We stopped in the town of Colima and had a great smorg breakfast. I got to have my favourite breakfast, chilaquiles, for the first time in almost a year!
After breakfast we went to the coastal resort town of Manzanillo, where we checked in at the AMAZING Las Hadas Hotel & Resort. It was easily one of the top five places I've ever been in my life. It was super classy and had it all, a private beach, luxurious rooms, a poolside bar, great restaurants, everything! It was my first time ever swimming in an ocean, and I have to say I've found a new favourite thing to do! I thought that only places like the Dead Sea with super-high salt content let you float, but there is enough salt in the ocean to let you float all you want! It was sooooo relaxing. I just swam out really far and just floated for what seemed like hours. I love it!
We stayed Sunday night and the morning on Monday before heading back to Guzman. We went to a great taco place for supper, visited Sofi's dad's office (where she works, too), checked me into the hotel, then hung out at home, where I took the opportunity to upload a photo to the website to show everybody how much more fun I was having than anyone else in the world. Sofi made me some awesome quesadillas before I walked back to the hotel (close-by, only three blocks!). I can't express to you how much I love real Mexican quesadillas!
On Tuesday me and Sofi had breakfast at a place called "Las peñas", where I had chilaquiles with chicken. We did some grocery shopping and then hung out at home. We went to Sofi's cousin Ceci's house, which was basically a mansion. It had a pool in the backyard, and the pool house had a kitchen and a pool table! We went home for lunch and then went shopping for Christmas presents. Afterwards, we came home and had some snacks that Sofi's mom was preparing for Christmas. I surfed the Internet for a bit and then we ordered pizza. It was then time to call it a night, so I headed back to the hotel.
Christmas Eve we went to Guadalajara to do some Christmas shopping, had lunch at BK and then came back to Guzman. That night, we all went to a place that Sofi's grandma owned to meet up with the rest of the family. Tons of Sofi's aunt, uncles, cousins, and other assorted family members were there. We did the traditional Joseph and Mary asking for shelter call-and-answer routine, which was pretty neat. There were lots of piñatas, and the kids had fun. For the last one pretty much everybody got a turn, which was fun. Here's a tip: when Mexicans are screaming "Ja!" at you (sounds like "Yeah!"), they mean stop! I didn't know and it was pretty funny how I kept swinging while everyone was screaming at me to stop :) All the kids put on a play about Christmas and Jesus and whatnot that I mostly couldn't understand because it was all in Spanish, which was especially funny since I played the part of Santa Claus. Everybody got a kick out of the play, especially Sofi's sister Connie's performance as an evil prostitute, complete with short dress and a huge fake ass. Hilarious! Little Andrea (Sofi's sister) was also very cute as a star. We had some great food ("Lomo relleno" - pork loin) after and enjoyed some of the fine wine I brought from Canada. Then, it was time for presents! Now, this is not what you think. Basically, everybody brought two $10 gifts, one a real gift, and one a joke gift. Everybody took turns rolling a die, and if you won you got to pick a present out of the pile. Then, there was a second round where if you won you got to steal a present from somebody else! It was all great fun. It was hilarious to see the kids choosing the biggest presents and then opening them up to find they are something silly like a toilet seat! At midnight we all wished everybody "Feliz Navidad" and continued having a great time. We called it a night shortly after 1AM - a great Christmas!
Christmas Day was pretty mellow. We went to Sofi's aunt's house in the morning just to see it - it was all white, huge, and absolutely gorgeous. It was just like a celebrity house you see on TV! We went for breakfast at Sofi's uncle's bowling alley, where they make a mean burrito! We rented a movie (Die Another Day), and then went to Christmas mass at a church. We spent the afternoon at Sofi's grandma's place having leftovers and just enjoying the sunny afternoon. At Sofi's aunt's house I noticed an un-opened bottle of Crown Royal on display as an ornament, and I guess my suggestion to open it went over well because they did and brought it for the afternoon fun.
That night, Sofi and I decided it was time for the big show - time to sit her parents down and talk about our future together. I talked about me, about Sofi, about our over two-year long courtship, and then took the big plunge - I told them we were planning to marry! There were lots of tears all around, and her parents weren't exactly happy, but in the end, even though they don't think that it's the best idea and certainly hate the idea of losing their daughter when Sofi moves to Canada, they gave us their support. They also gave us some great advice. The bottom line - we did it!!! Afterwards, it was present-time and I gave the whole family some small presents that I had brought as a token of my appreciation.
On Boxing Day morning (they don't celebrate Boxing Day there!) me and Sofi went for a long walk/jog out to the lagoon just outside of town. It felt great to get out and enjoy the +25C weather (which, by the way, was the case for the entire trip!). When we got back home Sofi made me pancakes and eggs with hot dogs. We toured around town and went to the office and the bank, then it was back home for lunch. Vero and Miguel (Sofi's sister and brother-in-law) joined us and we had tostadas with guacamole and chicken salad. Vero and Miguel also had some good advice for us. I had a few presents for the two of them as well so I gave them to them and then we watched some of the movie we rented. Just as we started Sofi's friend Flor called, so we went out for some coffee and cake with her. Flor spent time in Spain working as a model, and she was just as pretty on the inside. After coffee we dropped Flor off and then went to Miguel's mom's house for supper in honour of her birthday. Most of Miguel's family was there at her beautiful home. We had some good food and visited with the friends and family. I even met a girl who works for IBM in Mexico who gave me lots of info on what it's like to work for them in Mexico (the first thing I would have to do - take a pay cut! ;) It was a great evening and it was super cool of Miguel to invite us!
On Saturday morning we had pancakes at home and then got some fruit juice. We visited for a few minutes with Sofi's priest to introduce myself to him because we're going to need his help to marry us in the future! We then went to Sofi's other grandma's house to say goodbye. When we got home we got to finish the movie (classic Bond!) and then I diagnosed the problem Sofi was having with her computer and headset. We spent time choosing pictures and such as evidence of our relationship for Canadian Immigration. We went out to a restaurant for lunch where I had "pozole, flautas, y refresco" (trying to learn Spanish, here!). We then hopped in the car and went to a nearby town called Zapotiltic where we had some ice cream and bought some jicamas (like potato, but sweeter - one of my favourites!). When we got back to Guzman we walked around downtown and I did what every good Mexican does - bought some bootleg CDs on the black market. We made our way home and then just relaxed. Vero and Miguel came over and we had some food (quesadillas!) and chatted. It was late so it was time to head back to the hotel.
Yesterday was the worst part of the whole holiday, because it was time to say goodbye. Me, Sofi, her mom, Connie, and Andrea hit the road just after 8AM to Guadalajara to drop me off at the airport. We had a great breakfast in the airport (Molletes - another favourite of mine, basically bread with cheese and other toppings, kinda like pizza but the bread is much sweeter). Me and Sofi said a tearful goodbye and I went through the security barrier. I picked up some tequila at the duty-free and then got on the plane. Did I mention how much I hate flying? It's even worse when you are flying away from the one place you want to be. It's a lot worse when every single person in every plane and airport you are in is a fucking idiot. One bitch just basically let her toddler crawl around the plane! Hello?!? Anyways, I made all my flights on time which was good, and late last night I was finally back in Regina.
What a trip! I am so very thankful for every part of it. I would gladly endure plane rides for months just to spend another day there! Props to Sofi and her family for their as-always excellent hospitality - I can't wait to visit again!
Here are the pictures from the trip, in reverse chronological order. When I took the first picture I heard an awful grinding sound, so I'm just happy that the film developed, but as you can see I must have left it out in the cold or something too long, because most of the pictures have colour problems or smears. Still, it should give you a good synopsis of a great trip!
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I have some news on the work front, in that my contract in Vancouver won't last until the end of June, but will be over at the end of January instead, thanks to a re-scoping of the project as a result of losing a client. No big deal - on to bigger and better challenges!
Tonight my cell phone antenna broke for the third time in just over a year since I bought it. Word to the wise - never buy a Motorola v120! As always, though, everything bad that happens to me has an even better opposite - I fixed the very annoying rattle that was in my car! Bass is back again!
The plan for New Year's is to head to Brad and Stef's house, which promises to be a good time. I will bring tequila and various other duty-free treats to make sure!
...and I brought tequila!!!
Merry Christmas, suckers!!!!
Christmas was absolutely fabulous at the Burt household, where I made off with such kingly gifts as a scanner, clothing, home renovation literary material, the Terminator 3 DVD, a new thermos, a super tape measure, a space heater, and plain ol' positive vibes. We had some awesome lasanga from the Italian Club (seriously recommended!), although it would have been better had I not gorged myself on the buffet at the Hungarian club at lunch-time (also seriously recommended! $8.50 for all the quality food you can eat!). Bernie's annual bowling party was a huge success, and Bernie's fine after-party hospitality was fabulous as usual. I honestly am not sure what to make of the possibility of not having an X-mas bowling party next year, but I'll do my best to see that it happens! Props to everyone there, I love you all!!!
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Oh yeah, baby, you know it!
The first two movies rank as some as my favourite films of all-time, and The Return of the King is no exception. Without a doubt, the best trilogy in cinema history and some of the most special moments of my life. Thank you, Peter Jackson (and all involved), for making the most of the time that was given to you.
Well, the world has changed a lot since I wrote my last update, because Saddam Hussein is now where he belongs! I can only hope that this news plus a (hopefully) recovering economy means re-election for my man George W., but time will tell. Hope this will at least steal a little thunder from the nay-sayers, who apparently have learned nothing from September 11.
The last board meeting of the year on Wednesday went well, so now it's on to 2004!
On Friday night me and the team from work hit the town to celebrate the season. We enjoyed some fine pool, spirits, and food at the Crooked Cue, and then made our way to McNally's later in the evening. It was a good time and I was home early so what more can you ask for?
Saturday night I went with Joan Rink to the annual Regina Latino community Christmas party. It was nice to meet a lot of the people I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time with once Sofi moves up here. It was potluck, so for $1 I ate like a king and got to hear a little Spanish in preparation for my trip this weekend. After I got home, I got a call from Blair, so him and Jerrod picked me up and we joined Brad, Steff, Holly, and Ryan at the newly-renovated o'Hanlon's. The place is huge now! I'm thinking it very well could turn into our new hangout! The music was great and it was an excellent way to end the evening. I was home relatively early once again so it was a great time.
Sunday morning I got up and walked to the Hotel Saskatchewan for our company Christmas brunch. It was somewhat of a zoo due to all the youngsters running around but the food was amazing as always so it was good. I spent the afternoon doing Christmas shopping and then went to the parents' house for supper. I managed to pick up some great stuff for the holidays from my mom so that was very cool.
I've spent a lot of time last night and tonight with Sofi filling out immigration forms so she can work if (when!) she comes to Canada. It turns out the application costs $1500! Wow! The process takes a very long time (think months and years) so that's why we're getting started so early. Hopefully I'll be able to bring all the documentation we need back from Mexico and I can send it off early in the new year.
Tomorrow night me, Brad, Blair, Steff, Jerrod, Holly, and Ryan are checking out The Return of the King at the Galaxy. I've waited my entire life for this, and I couldn't be more excited!
Thursday night is all about packing. Friday night we're opening Christmas presents at the folks' house, and then I'm off to the annual bowling party at Nortown. I won't be getting too crazy, though, because I'm going to be in a cab on my way to the airport at 5AM on Saturday morning. Mexico and Sofia here I come! :)
The big URSU staff party at the Owl on Saturday night was a great time. We had a little mini-orientation for the board beforehand which really got everybody on the same page so it's going to be an exciting time in the new year.
I had my annual performance review at work today which went well because I am not going to get fired for the foreseeable future. I was up until 3:30AM working on a project proposal on Monday night that went really well, so work has been decent this week. It's still super stressful in that I've got a firm, firm deadline on the 19th to meet, and I have little chance of meeting it, but oh well.
Plans for the week include a board meeting tomorrow night, a haircut on Thursday (just a trim - I'm not ready to cut it off just yet!), a work team X-mas party on Friday night, a Mexican potluck on Saturday night, a work X-mas brunch on Sunday morning, and shopping on Sunday afternoon ... whew!
I still have yet to hear about any plans for New Year's Eve. I got an e-mail from Tracy Sangster about a party her roommate is throwing, and I heard some rumblings about a party at Brad, Steff, and Jerrod's, but that's about it. I'm completely broke so I don't have any cash to fuck off anywhere, and me and the family are having our Christmas on New Year's Day so I can't leave town :( If anybody has any ideas, let me know!
CENSORED BY "THE MAN"!
Aside from work, which sucks right now, I haven't been up to much aside from preparing for the Christmas season. Last night I finished doing up my Christmas cards, and I mailed them out tonight. Here is the text of them for your reading pleasure:
CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU ARE THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF
DEREK BURT'S 7th ANNUAL GENERIC CHRISTMAS CARD!Dear Friend(s),
Another year has come and gone - life is good so I suppose that's all anyone can ever ask for! I sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are safe and happy this holiday season. For some of you, this time of the year is usually the only time I get the chance to catch up, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity to let you know a little bit about what I've been up to for the last year.
I went to Mexico for a week in late January for my girlfriend Sofia's university graduation. It was the first time that I got to see her for pretty much an entire year, but just seeing her waiting for me at the airport made the wait worthwhile. It was a really amazing time and although I wasn't there for very long, I had a blast. I can't wait to go back!
In the spring I decided that as much as I enjoyed renting with my room-mates, it was time to start looking for a place of my own. After not a lot of searching (hey, I'll be honest!), I ended up buying a 2 bedroom condo in downtown Regina. It's a great place that I'm very happy to call my home. I've got a new room-mate living with me named Marco, who is in 3rd-year Engineering at the university, who moved in with me at the end of the summer, and it's been smooth sailing so far.
The weekend before August long weekend this year marked yet another cabin party in Cypress Hills, the 5th Annual. It's been a great tradition that sees me and my friends take over my parents' cabin for a weekend for some fun, some food, and some drink. We got amazingly good weather this year which made it even better. You are more than welcome to come out to the party next year!
Early this year I finally took my hunter safety course, which was pretty embarrassing considering I was in a room with 12 year-olds, but I made it through. I also wrote my federal firearms test which means I can now legally own a gun. Both of these new facts together meant that I could go hunting for the first time in my life. Me and my sister's boyfriend Brandon (also a first-time hunter) hit South-west Saskatchewan with my dad, my Grandpa, an uncle, and a cousin, and had a great time filling my deep freeze full of deer meat.
This summer I got to see Sofia again, except this time it was her visiting me here in Canada. She came with her friend Vanessa. We attended Brad Young's wedding to Stefanie Mohr, which was a great time. I was the MC for the wedding reception and it couldn't have gone better. The whole day was perfect. I can only hope that my wedding goes that well should I ever have one some day! After the wedding, me, Sofia, and Vanessa went on a tour of Western Canada that saw us visiting High River, Calgary, Drumheller, Edmonton, Jasper, the Okanagan, Banff, and Cypress Hills, in that order. It was a whirlwind tour that saw us all over the place for a week and a half but we had an amazing time that we won't soon forget. Brad's wedding wasn't the only one I was involved in - I was asked to MC another wedding at the end of September for one Mr. Shaun Stevenson. It was a great time because I got to basically repeat the same script that I used for Brad's wedding, so it went great!
In other news, my work is going very well. I sold the business I started with a few friends earlier this year, but I am still working for ISM Canada on the university campus. I got hired on permanently early this year and just celebrated my first anniversary working for the company. After working on a number of successful projects in the first half of the year, I spent most of the end of summer back and forth between Vancouver and Regina. Right now I am working for IBM Securities Industry Services in Toronto through the IBM Pacific Development Centre in Vancouver doing work on IBM's next-generation brokerage software. Sound confusing? Don't worry - it confuses me all the time! I'll be working with them until the end of June at least, then it's on to the next project!
I have some sad news to report, in that I will not be making my annual trip to Assiniboia for Christmas and the Festivus. I am going to be visiting Sofia in Mexico for Christmas. I am also going to be talking to her parents to see if they like the idea of the two of us getting married ... sshh! Don't tell! I will keep you all posted on how it turns out!
May the holidays bring you joy, happiness, money, fame, power, or whatever else your heart desires. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
Yours,
Derek
The URSU staff X-mas party is on Saturday, otherwise I plan to lie low until then until the next X-mas party I have to go to. Also, I have so much Christmas shopping to do, it's not even funny!
Because my current life (and soon my family) is one that spans international borders and cultures, I found this piece by Diego not only relevant to me, but just plain fucking brilliant.