TALES FROM YON SEED

I grew up near a predominantly Mennonite town called Steinbach. In case that brings wacky thoughts of people without cars, tv's or the 3 billion other amenities we modern people enjoy, let me assure you - we were quite the normal town of 10,000 people, with all modern amenities (except a monorail). The biggest difference you might notice is the large number of churches and the high percentage of Protestant Christians. We weren't the only town of Mennonites either. Somewhere, across the river there were the towns of Winkler and Altona. Growing up, these other towns were almost mythical. They were like us, but we never went there. We were told that those people lived on YON SEED ("the other side"), while we lived on DITZ SEED ("this side"). However, the people over there had it all backwards. To them, we were YON SEED and they were DITZ SEED. Because of this, I always had the perfect joke to make with anyone I met from Winkler or Altona.

Last year, I finally had the chance to visit these places, and found that 'the other side' is quite different. The towns don't look the same or function the same. Winkler has even consented to the worldly influences of Wal-Mart. What I noticed though, was a hill on the horizon. Very different from my experience on the purely flat Red River Valley. Driving west from YON SEED I found the land that I now consider to be some of the prettiest in Manitoba.

Leaving Morden you drive up a hill, which I believe is the old shoreline of glacial Lake Agassiz. Up top the land is rolling and the road takes you through a wind farm. I personally think that wind farms and absolutely breathtaking. The windmills are majestic and powerful and they serve such a great purpose. It's cheezy, I know. But it's also honest. As you approach the Treherne area there are random hills known as the Tiger Hills. These hills are as random and bumpy as an unmade bed. Yes, it is like driving through the unmade bed of a giant. The air seems to have a misty haze to it that looks postcard perfect. Yes. I was impressed.

So the next time anyone says that Manitoba is the most level place on earth (which I always thought) take a drive down the #2 and #244 for a change of scenery. And if your Mennonite, it's time to start asking the elders what exactly they had against hills anyways.

ps. Unfortunately, the camera was being used by someone else at work, so I was unable to capture any of these things. Hopefully my artful wordsmithing will paint a picture in your mind.

pps. I looked up pictures of windfarms and these were the closest to what I saw on this trip.

To All the Girls I've Loved Before

We miss you. We know you did your best. We were rooting for you.

You reminded us some important lessons...

- don't be your own worst enemy
- don't worry about what others are doing
- keep your eyes on your fries
- put it out there, even if you don't know what the hell you're doing

All the best to AJ and Brooke (ANTM Cycle 7).





















ps. yes my addiction is only getting worse

Yellowhead Tour

The Yellowhead tour took us along the Yellowhead Highway which runs north from Winnipeg up through Saskatoon, Edmonton and apparently all the way to Prince Rupert on the coast. It is dubbed the "New Trans-Canada Highway" by all those hopeful little towns that want you to pass through. (For those of you who don't know, the original Trans-Canada highway, the #1, runs all across Canada from coast to coast. West of Winnipeg, it runs through Regina, Calgary and Vancouver...)

Anyways, the countryside along the Yellowhead was wonderfully hilly and different from the Red River Valley where I grew up. Monday was pissing down rain when we drove the 4 hours to Russell. At least it wasn't snow. The next day as we pulled up to Birtle Collegiate, in the picturesque valley town of Birtle, it seemed that the parking lot was quite dusty...

(proof that not all of Manitoba is flat)

However...when I got out of my van my colleagues asked me - why is your van smoking from the hood? I had no answer for that, but indeed my van was smoking from the hood. With 3 presentations scheduled at Birtle Collegiate before the 40 minute drive to Strathclair Collegiate in Strathclair where 2 presentations were scheduled, there was very little time to deal with this challenge. Luckily I am still in the running to becoming Manitoba's Next Top Recruiter. My van was towed to Brandon and I drove to Strathclair the very kind Erin from Assiniboine Community College. The van was ready in Brandon by 5pm so the crisis was handled successfully.
Here is the van with some unknown orange liquid oozing out of it.


And since I have this obsession with trying to mark out our route on a map, I've tried again. In total we visited the following towns: Russell, Birtle, Strathclair, Brandon, Rivers, Minnedosa, Neepawa and McGregor. Yee-haw.

On another note, I have no idea why the majority of high schools in Manitoba are called "Collegiates". I did not go to a collegiate, so anyone who can shed some light on this issue, feel free.

:)

The Eastman Tour Map
This is the tour that takes me through my old stomping grounds. Visiting my old high school - the SRSS in Steinbach is an interesting experience. Just walking into the bathroom brings back a flood of memories - first kisses, bitchy girls, heartbreak and an overall good place to hide out when you don't want to go to class. The strange thing is seeing all these new kids hang out in the places where my friends and I used to be. Not only the bathroom, but "the rock", sunshine hall, and the students parking lot. It's so Degrassi the Next Generation.

This map is fuzzy and I'm too tired to care.

Manitobas Next Top Recruiter
Manitobans are always curious about when that first snow fall might be, and whether or not it is the type of snow that stays or goes. Our Eastman week saw the first snowfall and luckily it was the second type. Still, the weather was brutal, and luckily I happened to be in the Rabbit for the worst part, not the van. As we made our way towards Lac du Bonnet on Tuesday morning (with visions of last years foggy drive in our heads) we were greeted by awful conditions.
For example, icy roads...














and reduced visibility...















and then absolute shit...















Some recruiters did not make it through this 'challenge'. Some never got passed Beausejour and others slid into the ditch. I, on the other hand, am still in the running to becoming Manitoba's Next Top Recruiter...(flutter eyelids here Tyra).

At the end of the day, we got to do our favorite thing:














watch a little ANTM...

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

The fun and busy-ness never stops. Jack's dad, Adolf, took the bus from Lethbridge to Winnipeg for Thanksgiving. He endured 24 hours on the bus, just to be with us. We enjoyed a different side of Winnipeg, as Adolf stayed at the Inn at the Forks. We really saw the city through the eyes of a tourist and it was pretty cool. The Inn is super nice and we had great weather on Saturday. So great that we were outside having drinks at 10pm without heat lamps...and some of us in t-shirts.

Adolf enjoyed seeing the downtown historical part of Winnipeg with the highlight probably being L'esplanade Reil. He loved eating at the Salisbury House restaurant on the bridge. All the history and downtown-ness did get to him after awhile, and soon we had to take a ride out to the suburbs, to reassure him that we had things like Sobeys and Superstore, where you can buy a roasted chicken for $4.95.



We also visited the longitudinal Centre of Canada. Adolf had a great idea for making the sign more understandable. He said that it should read - "If you measure Canada from East to West, then this would be the middle." He has a point...Longitudinal is a little convoluted.

Thanks for coming Adolf!

Seriously, did no one notice the massive crack behind Clint and Amy, in the picture posted October 2? I didn't mention it because I was testing you all. Come on people, get your minds in the gutter!

Hiding out in rural MB
Hey y'all. This week has seen way more bedrest time then I would have liked. Especially considering that we are so close to Riding Mountain Park and the temperatures are still in the mid-teens. Have definitely caught up on my tv watching and I'm feeling better every day. Although my voice was probably at it's worse today during presentations. The camera uploader is not working so I'll have to post the few pictures I have when I get back.

Til then,
x

Week Two - Parklands

This week got off to a rocky start with an incredible cold that hit me Saturday night. With only Saturday off before getting back on the road for the 6 hour drive to Swan River on Sunday, it sucked pretty bad to be sick. On top of that, I made it to my kickboxing class on Saturday, before the cold really set in, and I have been almost immobile with soreness. Basically, if anyone ever tells you to do squats across the length of a gym and back...tell them to eff off. You'll thank me later.

Luckily, the U of M recruiter drove and I got to moan in pain in the passenger seat. We did stop for a lovely Sunday afternoon hobble through Wasagaming at Clear Lake. Riding Mountain National Park is a beautiful place, but unfortunatly all I can really say about it is...it is definitly shaped like a gun.



I spent Sunday night in bed in Swan River, so I have still not had the opportunity to explore the area where trumpeter swans once lived. Hopefully I will recover and be able to enjoy a fall hike in the park, which is visible from Dauphin, where I'm now staying for 3 nights.

Ciao!

The Pas (and beyond!)
Unfortunatly I seemed to have slacked off on the end of my Northern Trip and have not yet reported on The Pas (pronounced "The Paw"). You may be interested to know that the name "The Pas" is derived from the Cree word "pasquia" meaning wooded narrows. It may also be linked to the French term "le pas" meaning "the step". The Kikiwak hotel is located on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Reserve. It's all pretty typical small town, but when you go to buy that coffee at Tim's or a $5 t-shirt at Warehouse One, they ask you for your treaty number. Yet, somehow I didn't end up paying tax on that t-shirt, even though I don't have a treaty number...


Our dear April is no longer recruiting for ACC as she is at home with her newborn son. But! we happily had a chat with her one afternoon and I've got the picture to prove it.










Finally, no trip to The Pas is complete without a visit to Good Thymes, one of the best restaurants in rural Manitoba. The menu is creative and the food is delish. You're guarenteed a good thyme at Good Thymes...