Hello Everyone

Sorry, sorry it's been far too long ago since I last wrote. And I so promises to keep you up to date, so today is my day off, it's raining cats and dogs and I don't have another excuse for not writing today. Okay so the last time I had told my job in the restaurant was not quite what I had hoped what it would be. My neighbor Tom works at the University as Sous Chef (he is in charge if the chef is not there) and he could probably help me to get a job at the University. I had a conversation with the Chef of the University and he was also very positive. The case is that the jobs in the kitchen are seasonal, during the summer when the students leave the kitchen is closed. The staff is being layed offs and rehired again after the summer holidays, what makes the job more attractive for many people because who would not like to have 3 months holiday, I for shure would not have a problem with this. Oh well, the waiting was on the return of all the staff to see if everyone came back this year, the chef was convinced that there would be an opening. So I wait, and wait .... and I didn't heard anything .... It turned out that everyone had come back and at that time there was no reason to hire a new cook, unfortunately. But after a few weeks had one of the cooks resigned with a two week notice. Tom was sure that they would call me for the position, but after a week, I had heard nothing yet .... I started to doubt a little whether I would get that job and Tom was also not too happy. Besides that he has the responsibility of a Sous Chef, he has the catering which sometimes can be very busy and many long working days, he was a bit fed up of this because he saw his son less often. I was beginning to doubt if I should change jobs now that the restaurant and was not as bad as it had been in the beginning. But then came the question of whether I was still interested in a job at the University, not as a cook but as a junior Sous Chef catering .... Wow, is sure is something else. What had happened was, Tom would take over the job of the cook who had left and would still be Sous Chef but would leave the catering to someone else so he would get more time off. So I got offered the catering position with next to that the responsibility of taking care of special meals of the students with a diet. In short a better salary than what I earn at the restaurant, other working hours and more responsibility, a whole new challenge.

After some thinking I resigned my job at the restaurant and accepted the job at the University. I doubted it because I was starting to like the job at the restaurant, and I was told by several people that it is rather a soap opera is among the staff of the University. But then again you don't get an offer like this and if I don't like it, I can always look for something else. Despite that I was still in my probation time at the restaurant and could leave any time I wanted I gave them two week notice. My last working day was on a Friday and I would start with my new job on Monday. That worked out very well because then I could visit Jackie and Douglas for the weekend.

Jackie and Douglas were the first couple I stayed with when I started traveling from the west coast to the east oust I stayed with them for five weeks on Denman Island and had a very good time with them. Jackie and Douglas had purchased a house and a large piece of property in Nova Scotia have not yet three hour drive to me today. Who would have thought and what a company. Imagine being 78 years old which Douglas is and then not only move from the west coast to the East Coast, but also taking along 2 horses and 5 dogs, isn't that amazing. After they were moved, I had called Jackie and the first thing she asked me is when are you coming to visit us, so now I had a few days off between the two jobs and was planning to go for a visit. And frankly I looked more forward to the fact that would see them again then starting with my new job. So on Friday morning I drove to Jordan Bay somewhat of a two and a half hours drive from Wolfville, on the other side of Nova Scotia. When I arrived I got a big hug from the both of them I met Maggi a helper from Switzerland who had been a great help with the move from Denman Island to Nova Scotia. Douglas is pleasantly surprised with the home-baked apple pie that I brought, 'that you remembered that' but we decided that it was a better time for a glass of wine and we would save the pie for after supper. It is so nice to see them again they bought old house but it is very well maintained with a garage/carport for the cars and a barn with new stables for the horses and also a swimming pool which needs a little maintenance. But the location is wonderful on the North Atlantic Ocean where each morning you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise from the sunroom. Every day with low tide there is a group of seals on the rocks in the middle of the water making lots of noise. And every time we go for a walk along the chore the dogs tag along and will go for a swim in the water. We have a wonderful weekend the weather is beautiful and Maggi and I drive to Lockport which is famous for their beautiful sandy beach. But as they say: 'Time flies when you're having Fun' and it is soon time for me to go home again. But Jackie and Douglas assure me that whenever I need a break I am more then welcome to come for a visit, my room will be ready, and I promise to come and visit them again when.

So now I started my new job and the first impression is good. It is mainly preparing lunches with different sandwiches, dinners and buffets but still I haven't seen everything jet in. Till now the Chef and Tom help me with everything I have to do, but once I know my way around I'll have to be able to do it by myself. I get a lot of information and it's sometimes overwhelming but so far so good and I like it.

I also received my last boxes of stuff from the Netherlands. I still had a number of boxes at my mother and before my departure from the Netherlands I already looked at the possibilities to send my stuff over. After some calling and emailing back and forth the boxes were picked up at my mother's place and send to Schiphol airport for a transfer by plane to Halifax. The number of boxes was expanded with an extra large box with my mother's bike. I was still looking for a bike and she had one she didn't use anymore so she gave it to me, thank you so much. While waiting on a message from the Netherlands on when I can expect my stuff I get a call a few days later from Air Canada that I could pick up my stuff at the Halifax airport. I asked Anna and George (the last people I had where I stayed withbefore I got theapartment), if I could borrow the van to pick up my stuff. And the next evening George and I drove to Halifax. But before I can claim the boxes I need some stamps and signature from customs. So I go to the Customs and explain that my stuff from the Netherlands has arrived and ask politely for a signature. And I could have known, it is not easy to get the signature .... When did you arrived in Canada and where do you live now, .... .... and did you pack the boxes yourself .... Do you have a list with description of what is in the boxes. I give them a detailed list and I take a seat, it will only take a few minutes to check .... half an hour later they get back to me with the papers and signature and the necessary stamps. Now I can get my stuff, the boxes look somewhat battered and some are as I already expected opened by the customs to check. It almost feels like Christmas when I finally open all my boxes. And now I have a my own (Dutch) bike and I am very happy with that. But I do wonder, either I am really out of shape or the three gears might not be enough on in this area with all those hills and mountains.

So I guess I'll have to make more use off the sports facilities of the University where they have a fairly large fitness centre and a large swimming pool and ice rink. If that doesn't help, I don't know.

So that's it for now, Gabriëlle