Blogs from British Columbia, Canada, North America - page 422

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver March 10th 2007

After planning this trip for almost a year, we are so excited about our trip to Portugal, Spain and Morocco over Spring Break. Our bags are packed and we are ready to go! But wait, our plane doesn't take off for another 4 days. What are we going to do? Our bags have been packed for the past three weeks, we have been fully innoculated, we've read every travel book, and days have been spent surfing the net researching trains, planes and automobiles, hotels and sights not to be missed. The only sensible thing to do is to sleep! Once we hit European soil, it is going to be quite the journey! Here are our plans: We're flying from Vancouver to Frankfurt and then on to our first stop, Lisbon, Portugal for four nights. From Lisbon, ... read more

Meeting

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver March 9th 2007

South Music

There is a very important Beijing meeting in the band room on March 9 at 7 p.m. There will be handouts and itineraries ready for you. See you there, Music Department... read more

all things electrical

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver March 9th 2007

South Music

I get a variety of answers when I ask about the electrical plaugs in China. There seem to be a variety of plugs. I read that in China, two flat prong style as we have here, but not polarized (both blades are identical). But also I have heard that you can find the two round prongs, European style, and the diagonal prongs Australian style, and the British style. So what can we expect? Chinese hotels have accommodated for the tourists from around the world. Two same sized flat prongs will work. But be sure you have a voltage converter or transformer, so the appliance can adapt to the higher voltage. Just changing the plug is not good enough. Fortunately, most hair dryers, shavers, battery rechargers are dual voltage. The appliance will say so if it is ... read more

雪上训练第四天

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver » West Vancouver March 9th 2007

鞋？

Xiang

8号。早上起来的时候雪还是下得很大，帐篷里外都冷得无法忍受。穿上冻结了像冰块一样的靴子，在原地跳了10-20分钟后，终于觉得自己的血液是在循环的。赶紧做早餐，可能是寒冷，人也特别容易饿。我们吃完早点，有些人还没有起床。那可苦了我们，天空依然是下着厚厚的雪，帐篷里面和外面一样的冷。如果不活动的话，手脚都冻得受不了。我们不能先走，得等那些没有准备好的队友。我们只能在原地不停的跳。那天，我们出发的时间将近中午，雪下得很厚，我们不能看到10米以外。我们决定沿来的路回去，因为我们只剩下3天的食物。一个小时后，我们回到了昨天爬上来的斜坡，。因为雪下了很久，那个斜坡更陡，雪也更松。坡度在70度左右，高度在2百米左右（从顶上到半山腰的一个平台）。我们再次需要攀岩绳作为扶手，以防有些队员太于紧张和失脚摔下山底。还是用一棵树作为顶点，在绳子中间打蝴蝶结。雪太松，随便踩就陷到腰以上。我做好绳子扶手后用主锁把自己扣起来在整个斜坡的中间保护。保护不难，但是雪埋到腰以上又有一个小时没有活动，身体一直在打抖。花了2小时后总算还是回到了半山腰的一个平台上，大家休息片刻后马上得继续往山下走，虽然很累，但是太冷不活动人会受不了。结果在晚上的7点钟左右我们越过了LUKE LAKE 还翻越了一座山。我们的速度异常的快，估计是因为每个人都想尽快离开那冰冻的地方，回到房里享受空调和热水的快感。到晚上雪还是下得很大，我们的整个帐篷，睡袋外面，外套和靴子里面一直都是湿的。一边做饭一边跺脚。还是不能睡觉，冷得整夜都在缩成一团。 ... read more

雪上训练第五天

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver » West Vancouver March 9th 2007

集合

Xiang

9号。早上的时候感觉身体很累，因为一夜都没有放松过。不过当时的兴趣高昂了许多。因为我们估计当天下午就可以回到SUNSHINE COAST.整个早上的路都比较平坦，只有一点需要上坡，下午2，3点的时候我们回到了普通滑雪场。看到几个我们队伍以外的滑雪爱好者。从那开始因为有专人维护雪场，滑起雪来特别的舒服和容易。一路都是平整下坡雪道。用不到2个小时的时间我们回到了我们停车子的地方，也就是5天前我们出发的地方。 ... read more

雪上训练结束

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver March 9th 2007

我呢！！

Xiang

雪上训练结束 North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver » Vancouver By XiangMarch 9th 2007Qin Qing Xiang 看看一张张痛苦过后的笑脸！22岁时我第一次看到雪，那是2003年在桂林。现在是第二次接触雪。这次的体验是一辈子都不会忘记的。冻结的靴子，湿透了的袜子，手套，外套，还有整夜都在打抖，早上起来全身酸痛的感觉。比较起来那又算什么呢？11月份去南极的时候，那里的温度是－40至－60.预定时间是两个月。那样我还能在雪地上脱光，撒野。那才是人生乐事！！ ... read more

Three more days

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver March 8th 2007

Jeannie s piece of mind

Well our bags are packed and in three days we will be off to India. It feels like I am on a train moving forward and things are clicking together and soon I will be spit out at the airport to board my flight. Who knew the time would go by so fast. I am super excited and keep pinching myself to be sure this is real. I love you all and my next blog will be from Chennai, India. ... read more

Last week in the snow

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Whistler March 7th 2007

Bear 3

Di and Gareth

So here we are in our third and final week here in what has recently become rainy Whistler. Last week brought heaps of fresh snow along with temperatures of -17 C, while this week a lot of the snow has tuned either icy (sore to fall on!) or slushy (wet to fall on...), however a storm is a brewin' and our fingers are crossed for a big dump of powder for our final few days of boarding. Other than boarding almost every day, we have been have been sampling the local beers and falling asleep very early (Di, sometimes at 7PM). We also went to see the weekly "Fire and Ice" show in Whistler Village where very brave (crazy?!) boarders and skiers jump through a hoop of fire, do some spins and usually wipe out (see ... read more

Cat tracks are horrible but the views aren't!

Stanley Park, Lost Lagoon

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver » Stanley Park March 7th 2007

Lost Lagoon 2

telly

Another delightful part of Stanley Park is Lost Lagoon. The area is known as Ch'elxwa7elch in the local first nations' language (Coast Salish). The area of Lost Lagoon was shared by many of the first nations in the area as a gathering place for mussels and other sea harvesting. The rights to the harvest land is passed from generation to generation through marriage and inheritance rights. "If you didn't have direct stewardship of a place and you didn't have access through kinship you just weren't going there," Miller said. "The key word is protocol; you could get access to these places but you have to do the right things, talk to the right guy and ask permission in the right way." (Randy Shore, Vancouver Sun, March 17, 2007, rshore@png.canwest.com). My trips to Lost Lagoon are a ... read more

学上训练第三天

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver » West Vancouver March 7th 2007

笑脸

Xiang

7号.是最艰难的一天.我们还是早上9点开始徒步,2个多小时的向上爬雪山后,终于到了半山腰的一个平台上.我们休息和吃午餐.整个早上的天气非常好.出大太阳.午餐过后往山顶上爬.上山的路很陡,有些教育队的队员的脚开始打抖和也开始抽沥.过了2个多小时后,我们到达山顶.天气依然很好.眼看我们要去的小木屋就在另一边的山脚下.想着今晚就可以躺在温暖的木屋里面. 大家非常的高兴.片刻消息和决定好下山的路后我们开始往山下奔去.一路下山,我还是摔了无数次跤.每次背着我的大包站起来都非常的难过.心里念着要尽快练好滑雪技巧就不需要再摔跤了.我们有两个先锋队员在前面探路,其余队员在后面慢慢跟上.尽管这样,我们还是没有找到能够下山的路.6点多钟的时候我们经过一个非常陡的下山路.坡度在50度左右,斜度有3,4百米左右,再加上疏松的雪.没有户外经验的几个教育队队员都已经鼻涕满面.前面那些有些经验的队员下去飞快.这样使最后这几个害怕更加难受,因为她们已经严重掉队.天色也慢慢黑下来.天空也不知道什么时候开始下起鹅毛般的大雪.但是我们仍然没能看见山底.不知道还需要多少个小时才能到达山底,不知道那些流泪的队员还能坚持多久.我是队里唯一熟悉绳索的队员.所以我一直在后面给行动缓慢的队友拉上绳子给她们做扶手.即使那样的往下走了一个小时左右,再往下的路也没有一点更容易.反而更加困难.我们决定返回,放弃今晚下山的决定.正在全部队伍往回爬的时候,原来走在最前面,下得最底的那两个个先锋队员自己上不来.因为背包太重和雪太厚,一踩就陷到腰间.真是下山容易上山难.她们需要攀岩绳把她们拉上来.我的工作从那时起变成了援助先锋队员,而不是落伍队员.天已经完全的黑了.其他人都在往山上爬的时候我带上头灯,背着攀岩绳往山下爬.雪下得更大.我下到绳子可以放到他们的地方停下来,找了颗有大腿般粗的树用绳子一头绑住后,把绳子扔下去给他们把背包绑起来.下面有两个人没有上来和两个背包.上面是ERIC(加拿大探险队员)和我.他是本地人,在雪地里长大.他一点都不觉得冷。尽管我不停的拉着下面的两个人和背包. 我仍然觉得非常的饥饿和寒冷,我的冲锋衣,靴子和手... read more