For those of you who have zero interest in sports this will be of little interest to you and probably make little sense... so bugger off!!! (jokes) For those of you who do share my love for following every result, statistic and trade rumour in pretty much every sport; This is for you!
Funny thing sport... you fall in love with the game in it's simplest form, playing with a bunch of friends in a park or outdoor rink, and you work your way into more organized, formal, competitive versions of the 'said' game. Your main goal/aspiration/life's purpose becomes to play professionally in the 'said' league (ie. NHL, NBA). You eventually get to a point in your playing career that you realize that you have never been given a fair chance at making it big and it is everyone elses fault (the coaches, the referee's, the opposition) that you didn't make it to the next level, OR better yet, you realize that you weren't cut out to be the next Aki Berg!! At this point, playing takes a back seat and is limited to Pub League Football on a Sunday afternoon or Table Tennis Singles Social Night at the Brixton Recreational Complex. This is when following sports takes on another level... You start to delve into the most trivial of stats for every Toronto Maple Leaf game and suddenly have all the answers to why they haven't won the Cup in 40 bloody years and if only you were in charge instead of that half-witted Ferguson the Leafs would be well on their way towards that illustrious trophy! You get your fill of sports by reading every article on www.tsn.ca (go to this link... I get $0.10 for everybody referred through my blog), watching games on the telly, watch the same sports hightlights show three times in a row to be sure you didn't miss anything, and from the morning paper they give you on your morning commute (which by the way filled me in today that Frankie Lampard and his 4 digit bar tab got him in some trouble with the missus and he won't be allowed out to play again any time soon!! -I can sleep tonight knowing that-) Sooooo, long story short... this is pretty much where I am in my life but I have had to settle for internet hightlights of the Leafs and Raps and have been taking advantage of the 24 hours of 'football' coverage over here!! Oh how I long to sit down and watch a whole Leafs game complete with Coaches Corner with a couple of cold Alexander Keiths and some ten cent chicken wings! I haven't bought into giving up on playng sports just yet, as becoming a couch potato with a beer belly is not high on Long Term Plan! My exercise at the moment consists of playing one football match a week, and running after little kids for up to 10 hours a week!! Hey, if it's not broken don't fix it.
Leafs -
Having not seen a game, I am probably not qualified to have much of an opinion on this season and the the horrendous events that have transpired... but I still fancy myself an expert and will give my opinion anyways! (My blog...)
Congrats on the three wins in a row, but don't get too high on the horse just yet... We have many swings to go and unfortunately it looks like a few of those will be losing stretches! We still have two good goalies... but nobody to steal a game for us in the third likes the Belfours and Potvins of the past. We have a D-man in McCabe that we are stuck with beause of a contract that nobody in their right mind would consider taking on unless they were making a run at the 1st Overall Draft Pick. We have one forward who contriubutes offence consistently and 11 others who show up once in a blue moon. (Tough luck with Blake so far)
We will fight for a playoff spot (at best) this year and we can't expect anything better to happen as long as J. Ferg is holding the reins.
Raps -
This was the team to watch last year in Toronto, is the team to watch now, and it looks like they have a bright future with some young talent. I think they will put together a good run in January that will put them back in the mix with the top teams in the conference (except for Boston who are a favourite to top the league this year). Colanglelo seems to know what pieces are needed to fit in any puzzle and these boys will pull through for us, if nothing else they will give us something to cheer about with an exciting brand of basketball. Look for them to win their first round of the Playoffs at home and anything can happen after that.
Football -
Man U to win the league this year... followed by Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea...
Champions League I don't know what to expect but Liverpool is always dangerous in this format of tournament and that would be my somewhat biased choice! (If they make the next round with a win)
Euro Championships... haven't the slightest... I don't think there is a favourite that is head and shoulders above the rest... I'd be willing to bet England won't win it though!!
Next England Manager... Jose Mourinho... although he likes club football he is interested and the FA has the money to lure him if they so choose (and they should)... he is calm cool and collective under pressure and seems to be able to work the media like no other. The FA has just tried an English Manager and we all know how that went!!
I have written for too long already... Hope all is well with everyone!
Ciao bella(s) and bello(s)
Ryan
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
My new hobby...
I have taken up a new hobby since being in London... yup, I am the newest musical prodigy by way of the bongo and the classic egg shaped shaking device which was made famous in my Grade 1 music class with Mrs. Wilkinson. Mrs. Wilkinson, if you're out there, your enthusiasm for music and your egg shaking prowess have inspired me to pursue music.I have never been known for having much of a sense of sound (or sense for that matter) or rhythm, but I plan on changing that! Since I have all but mastered the old bongo I feel I am ready for bigger and better things... I am looking to purchase my first guitar!! Rick Popiez, your lessons from when I was about 7 years old have finally sunk in. Once I make the big purchase I am going to work around the clock to learn some old classics such as Sarah McLaughlin's Angel, Tupac's Changes, and the timeless classic Material Girl by Madonna.
I have posted a pic of me and my first bout of busking along London's embankment. Oh and one with Sharpies guitar... please note the cigarette hanging out of the mouth for dramatic effect (plus I thought it made me look tough)... don't worry mum, I haven't taken up that 'filthy' habit ;)
Enjoy
Top marks for those reading and posting messages on my blog!!!
Cheers to those of you who have been commenting! It's always good to hear from you and it gives me a little inspiration to keep writing.
Brent, I have been on your website a number of time and it is fab! Keep up the good work mate. For those of you who are connected with my cousin Brent, check out his website about his adventures in Saudi... www.thefourcanucks.com
For those of you interested in good wholesome indie musical melodies... www.thebetween.ca
That's it for my shoutouts... I think it's time to write a proper 'spot' in the ol' blog...
Stay tuned...
Bakes
Brent, I have been on your website a number of time and it is fab! Keep up the good work mate. For those of you who are connected with my cousin Brent, check out his website about his adventures in Saudi... www.thefourcanucks.com
For those of you interested in good wholesome indie musical melodies... www.thebetween.ca
That's it for my shoutouts... I think it's time to write a proper 'spot' in the ol' blog...
Stay tuned...
Bakes
Thursday, September 27, 2007
5 months deep and I finally had my first date in London :)
It was with great anticipation that I awaited my first date in London... I picked up some nice flowers from the local Supermarket and pedalled my way over to Honour Oak Road for a cup of tea and a bite to eat, which gradually became a day of sightseeing on the Thames, a light lunch in the Horniman Pub and a fine dinner and wine at a Thai Restaurant! Did I mention that my date was Joan (my Grandads sister) at the ripe young age of 78!?! Truth be told, I had a bit of trouble keeping up to her! Turned out to be a great day where we were able to do a tour of the London Tower Bridge, and check out the National Gallery among other things.
On another note, its getting a bit nippy out here... I think fall is near... or here actually! Time to bundle up and enjoy all that is a London Autumn!
Hope all is well with whoever is reading this ;)
Cheers
Monday, September 24, 2007
Rivelino suffers first defeat
It looks as though we were brought down a notch on Saturday with a 3-1 loss. The team looked sharp at times coming out hard early, but the away side worked the counter-attack to a tee and pounced on our mistakes to secure victory. On a personal note, my ankle feels worse than it did before the match... never was good at giving injuries adequate rest!!One thing I have learned (and learned fast) is that the best way to drown the sorrows of defeat is by attending an FA Premiership football match... and that I did. Fullham welcomed Man City to Craven Cottage for what turned into a goal fest with both teams scoring three on the day. I took in this game with Kyle and his co-teachers and students which was an absolute blast. I plan on attending the next one which is in October against Portsmouth I believe. The game itself was brilliant and it was nice to finally get my first Premiership game under my belt, although I always envisioned I would be on the pitch playing rather than in the stands!
Post game involved pizza, wine, and a wee bit of dancing... I must say it was a slice! (no pun intended) I am on pins and needles waiting for the next Fullham match...
In a bit.... Bakes
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Beaten, Battered, Bruised... BUT... Victorious!
Rivelino City make a statement in their first league fixture of 2007 storming out of the gates with a 5-1 victory over Hyde Park Thursday. Rivelino arrived with but one substitute player to play 90 minutes under the heat of the London sun. The team settled in nicely after a bit of a shaky start. Sporting the long sleeve Brazilian yellow football jerseys they played a tactical game where the team made good decisions under pressure and finished the chances that were earned through hard work and determination. Rivelino would prove to be too much for a side from Hyde Park that showed their frustration on the pitch.The two Canadians made an impact right away working along the left wing. Baker notched his first couple goals of the campaign while Kyle headed home a corner kick in the second half to give the away side a little more breathing room.
Baker had a little trouble walking after the game, as his one year hiatus from football may have had an effect! The left ankle, right knee, right and left hips, and inner thigh took the brunt of the abuse. Baker is hoping that six days of rest will suffice and all injuries will have healed in time for the home opener next Saturday.
Rivelino attendance was estimated at 2... Canadians Ashley and Shawntel made the journey just in time for kick off and were quoted as saying 'we wouldn't have missed it for the world'!!!
The Herne Hill Press - Sunday September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Rivelino City finds key piece to the puzzle...
Rivelino City play their inaugural match of the season today against Hyde Park Thursday! This day marks the first game where Canadian's Ryan Baker and Kyle don the storied Rivelino strip. The Canadians were signed for a record £110 pound registration fee and are expected to do mediocre to relatively good things on the pitch!!
Tickets are still availabe in the Upper Bowl for those interested in coming out for what promises to be a battle of wits, sweat and potentially the odd tear. Check www.ryanbaker.blogspot.com for all the latest results.
Stay Classy!!!
Tickets are still availabe in the Upper Bowl for those interested in coming out for what promises to be a battle of wits, sweat and potentially the odd tear. Check www.ryanbaker.blogspot.com for all the latest results.
Stay Classy!!!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Dublin calling...
First off - Awesome to see you Nana Sherwood (and Dave)... great to have you in London Booty and Adam...
How's life?? This blog has been all about me! Sounds a little selfish doesn't it? Ryan is doing this... Ryan is going here... Ryan is blah blah blah... I'm kind of sick of 'reading my own print'! (so to speak)
Seriously though, whats happening with everybody else? Haven't heard from anybody in Elmvale for awhile... any good JFD stories or good gossip to pass on?? How about the family?? Everybody in Sudbury... Liaison folk... how are the Swedes... anybody got an exciting new job, hobby, pet, stuffed animal... (now I am really digging deep)
Either way, if you are reading this drop me a quick comment with a little something something... a little story, a good joke, a brief how ya doing!
Sincerely,
Me...
PS - Dublin was great... highlight was the 800 year old mummies!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Whats new??
Hi there friends!
Lots to talk about and my fingers can only type so fast. I just got back from an incredible journey one might call a vacation! It all started about a month ago when Anna-Lee and Kaitlin joined me at the Casa de Ryan in London England. Matt 'the entertainer' Ross was not far behind and joined us for a few quiet (deafening) days/nights in the city that never sleeps (or talks to each other on trains)!! From here we took our Euro Rail passes and made our way to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and the centre of the Scandinavian Universe Pitea!!!
One highlight of the trip was the many train rides that ranged from two to fourteen hours! Instead of being bored, we decided to play cards, eat food, drink the occasional beer, and meet the rest of the train. We met some new friends from all over Sweden, France, Germany, Denmark, and America. We brought these people into our many random singalongs, dance parties, rock paper scissors matches and so much more. Heck we even tried to help our friend TJ through a bit of a tough time when somehow her friend got off the train at the wrong stop without out her and was, as a result, lost and alone in Europe with nothing but the clothes on his back! (ouch) TJ if you have ESP and somehow are listening, I hope it all worked out for you guys!!! Basically after TJ lost her mate, we missed our stop in Brussels, and then managed to miss another one shortly after that! So when the train stopped unexpectedly to fix the breaks, we took it as an opportunity to jump off the train with all of our luggage onto the tracks and over to the train waiting to go back to Bruxelles! We brought TJ with us to Brussels where she was meant to get the train to Amsterdam...
We were so fortunate to be able to see so many parts of the world that are so different in so many ways! Sweden was most certainly the highlight of the trip for me as we got to see some awesome friends that we now see on an annual basis! 2005 was in Florida, 2006 was in Canada, and 2007 was in Sweden... Pitea to be exact. We timed our trip so that it coincided with the Pitea dansar festival which was a festival unlike any I have ever seen, and that includes the world famous Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival!!! This festival involved music (five stages playing any type of music you could possibly desire), dancing (like it was 1999), sports (beach volleyball, soccer, basketball, triathlon), midway, and some of the best food I have tasted! Among other delicasies we tried Suova's which is reindeer in a pita... Langos is this hot pastry with sour cream and pizza toppings... and a plate that is traditional and unique to Pitea called Palt which is potato based ball with some type of ham in the middle which is eaten with butter and jam. (Big cheers to Erika's mom and dad for having us over for such a great meal)
The 'girls', as they are affectionately known, were amazing!! They put us up in their apartments, served as our tour guides and basically made sure we were always taken care of. It was great to meet all of their friends as well... the Swedes are very good hosts as people we had only just met invited us for meals at their houses, bbq's at their parents farms, wakeboarding at cottages, pre-festivals at the festival and even gave us goody bags for the train ride home! I can't say enough about everybody that took care of us... I will start with THANKS / Tack... and will leave it at, you are always welcome in London! Man, I miss Sweden already!
My travel partners:
Matt... you have a way of making light of any situation and making even the most boring of things into barrels of fun and excitement!! Gonna miss ya buddy! Start planning the next road trip which will happen when I get home for Christmas.
Anna-Lee... I must say I saw another side of shy Anna-Lee on this trip!! Was so great to see you and makes me miss home and family a little more... can't wait to see you at the Baker family Christmas!!
Kaitlin... was a slice meeting you and getting to know you! Seems like I have known you forever, we have all seen and been through so much together now. All the best to you!!!
If you have never traveled, seen the world, experienced other cultures... you need to now! I have been bitten by the travel bug and am quite happy to pass it on to others! I am off to Dublin Ireland next weekend for work which will be my 8th country visited! Can't wait!!!!
Wishing everybody all the very best!
Warmest regards,
Ryan
Lots to talk about and my fingers can only type so fast. I just got back from an incredible journey one might call a vacation! It all started about a month ago when Anna-Lee and Kaitlin joined me at the Casa de Ryan in London England. Matt 'the entertainer' Ross was not far behind and joined us for a few quiet (deafening) days/nights in the city that never sleeps (or talks to each other on trains)!! From here we took our Euro Rail passes and made our way to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and the centre of the Scandinavian Universe Pitea!!!
One highlight of the trip was the many train rides that ranged from two to fourteen hours! Instead of being bored, we decided to play cards, eat food, drink the occasional beer, and meet the rest of the train. We met some new friends from all over Sweden, France, Germany, Denmark, and America. We brought these people into our many random singalongs, dance parties, rock paper scissors matches and so much more. Heck we even tried to help our friend TJ through a bit of a tough time when somehow her friend got off the train at the wrong stop without out her and was, as a result, lost and alone in Europe with nothing but the clothes on his back! (ouch) TJ if you have ESP and somehow are listening, I hope it all worked out for you guys!!! Basically after TJ lost her mate, we missed our stop in Brussels, and then managed to miss another one shortly after that! So when the train stopped unexpectedly to fix the breaks, we took it as an opportunity to jump off the train with all of our luggage onto the tracks and over to the train waiting to go back to Bruxelles! We brought TJ with us to Brussels where she was meant to get the train to Amsterdam...
We were so fortunate to be able to see so many parts of the world that are so different in so many ways! Sweden was most certainly the highlight of the trip for me as we got to see some awesome friends that we now see on an annual basis! 2005 was in Florida, 2006 was in Canada, and 2007 was in Sweden... Pitea to be exact. We timed our trip so that it coincided with the Pitea dansar festival which was a festival unlike any I have ever seen, and that includes the world famous Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival!!! This festival involved music (five stages playing any type of music you could possibly desire), dancing (like it was 1999), sports (beach volleyball, soccer, basketball, triathlon), midway, and some of the best food I have tasted! Among other delicasies we tried Suova's which is reindeer in a pita... Langos is this hot pastry with sour cream and pizza toppings... and a plate that is traditional and unique to Pitea called Palt which is potato based ball with some type of ham in the middle which is eaten with butter and jam. (Big cheers to Erika's mom and dad for having us over for such a great meal)
The 'girls', as they are affectionately known, were amazing!! They put us up in their apartments, served as our tour guides and basically made sure we were always taken care of. It was great to meet all of their friends as well... the Swedes are very good hosts as people we had only just met invited us for meals at their houses, bbq's at their parents farms, wakeboarding at cottages, pre-festivals at the festival and even gave us goody bags for the train ride home! I can't say enough about everybody that took care of us... I will start with THANKS / Tack... and will leave it at, you are always welcome in London! Man, I miss Sweden already!
My travel partners:
Matt... you have a way of making light of any situation and making even the most boring of things into barrels of fun and excitement!! Gonna miss ya buddy! Start planning the next road trip which will happen when I get home for Christmas.
Anna-Lee... I must say I saw another side of shy Anna-Lee on this trip!! Was so great to see you and makes me miss home and family a little more... can't wait to see you at the Baker family Christmas!!
Kaitlin... was a slice meeting you and getting to know you! Seems like I have known you forever, we have all seen and been through so much together now. All the best to you!!!
If you have never traveled, seen the world, experienced other cultures... you need to now! I have been bitten by the travel bug and am quite happy to pass it on to others! I am off to Dublin Ireland next weekend for work which will be my 8th country visited! Can't wait!!!!
Wishing everybody all the very best!
Warmest regards,
Ryan
Friday, July 6, 2007
Little Kickers
So I was sitting in my reclining beach chair in our back garden, in the scorching heat of the London sun, sipping on a cold can of Stella and I thought to myself... 'it doesn't get much better than this'! Okay the reality of life in London has been quite different to say the least... the other day I could have opened with 'So I was sitting on my milk crate which doubles as my computer desk chair watching the rain turn to hail which brought on the thunder storm... and I thought to myself, does London even have a sun'???
I must be honest though, despite what has been, and is to be the rainiest summer on record in London... I REPEAT... THE RAINIEST SUMMER ON RECORD IN LONDON... despite this I am having an amazing time! And to be honest, the only thing worse than the weather in London is people complaining about the weather in London, and I have fallen victim this as well. Either way, you really appreciate a sunny day of say 24/25 degrees when you do get one!
My Job:
I haven't spoken much about this yet so here goes... Little Kickers is a company that offers football (soccer) classes to pre-school aged children. We run them through a set of warmup activities, games with soccer balls, and scoring goals. We focus on fun games rather than drill based activities so that the children are not forced to wait in lines. Part of my job is coaching, and I have really enjoyed this. I especially enjoy the Little Kicks class where the kids are as young as 18 months old. The classes usually end with the children giving high fives to the coaches... they love it when you move your hand a couple times before letting them actually get you, or falling over when they give you the high five letting on that they are VERY STRONG... the other day a young boy named Andreas constantly ran away from his mum while I was coaching and started pushing me... I knew what he was trying to do so I fell over and said Whoaaa! hahahaha I guess he couldn't wait for the session to finish to beat up on Coach Ryan. In another one of the classes that I help coach in the kids are starting to take their shoes and socks off and go barefoot which seems to have caught on like wildfire! It starts with Madison, and when Luke sees that Madison has done anything he must do it to... when the other children see this, they all jump on board!
Off to Crawley tomorrow to see Bill and Hilary (for those of you who know them) and do a Session Assessment of the classes that are running there!
Ciao for now... Ryan
I must be honest though, despite what has been, and is to be the rainiest summer on record in London... I REPEAT... THE RAINIEST SUMMER ON RECORD IN LONDON... despite this I am having an amazing time! And to be honest, the only thing worse than the weather in London is people complaining about the weather in London, and I have fallen victim this as well. Either way, you really appreciate a sunny day of say 24/25 degrees when you do get one!
My Job:
I haven't spoken much about this yet so here goes... Little Kickers is a company that offers football (soccer) classes to pre-school aged children. We run them through a set of warmup activities, games with soccer balls, and scoring goals. We focus on fun games rather than drill based activities so that the children are not forced to wait in lines. Part of my job is coaching, and I have really enjoyed this. I especially enjoy the Little Kicks class where the kids are as young as 18 months old. The classes usually end with the children giving high fives to the coaches... they love it when you move your hand a couple times before letting them actually get you, or falling over when they give you the high five letting on that they are VERY STRONG... the other day a young boy named Andreas constantly ran away from his mum while I was coaching and started pushing me... I knew what he was trying to do so I fell over and said Whoaaa! hahahaha I guess he couldn't wait for the session to finish to beat up on Coach Ryan. In another one of the classes that I help coach in the kids are starting to take their shoes and socks off and go barefoot which seems to have caught on like wildfire! It starts with Madison, and when Luke sees that Madison has done anything he must do it to... when the other children see this, they all jump on board!
Off to Crawley tomorrow to see Bill and Hilary (for those of you who know them) and do a Session Assessment of the classes that are running there!
Ciao for now... Ryan
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Happy 140th Canada!
Well it seems this weekend is full of celebrations... Not only did my nephews Liam and Aiden celebrate their 6th and 4th birthdays, Canada is also on the bill for a 140th bash. (They grow up so fast) I may be across the pond but we celebrate Canada day in style over here! Rocked it out in Trafalgar Square to Sam Roberts with a Moosehead and about 1000 of my closest Canadian friends.
Big up to my friends in Windsor, Martin, Erica, Laura and Jordan! Went for a visit the other day only to find out that among their neighbours are Elton John, Nick Faldo, and I think I am forgetting somebody... oh ya, the Queen!!! The long walk to the castle is about a pitching wedge (5 iron for most) from their front yard. Windsor is a beautiful city which is on the Thames. The castle highlights the city but there is also the most prestigious private school in England where the Princes were educated. Seeing the kids walking around all proper with their penguin suits really brought me back to my days at Elmvale District High School.
Oh by the way, I have confirmed a trip to Dublin for work! Going to do a Master Class for a couple new franchisee's so I get to meander over there for a couple days and hopefully see the sights!
Happy long weekend Canada... Cheers!
Big up to my friends in Windsor, Martin, Erica, Laura and Jordan! Went for a visit the other day only to find out that among their neighbours are Elton John, Nick Faldo, and I think I am forgetting somebody... oh ya, the Queen!!! The long walk to the castle is about a pitching wedge (5 iron for most) from their front yard. Windsor is a beautiful city which is on the Thames. The castle highlights the city but there is also the most prestigious private school in England where the Princes were educated. Seeing the kids walking around all proper with their penguin suits really brought me back to my days at Elmvale District High School.
Oh by the way, I have confirmed a trip to Dublin for work! Going to do a Master Class for a couple new franchisee's so I get to meander over there for a couple days and hopefully see the sights!
Happy long weekend Canada... Cheers!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Okay peeps, time for an update!
I AM still alive, believe it or not... and I am still well!
I have had some requests to get writing on here a little more frequently as I have been a bit of a slacker as of late in this department... My mum has pretty much convinced me to join Facebook but until I actually sign up the boycott stands!!!
I have had my trial visitors stay here in Herne Hill London and must say that it was a resounding success. Rachel and Megan, thanks for making an appearance it was cool to see you both... I now know not to take my guests to the Fridge (Caribbean bar) in Brixton (slums). We have an extra room here and it is a good little set up.
Please check list below to see if your name appears:
List of visitors thus far in England:
Lauren Duhaime
Brigit Jessup
Megan Kenney
Rachel Smeding
Lois Dion
If your name does not appear here... what is the problem. Let us rectify this situation before it gets out of hand.
Update - Legoland was wicked! You would have to see this place to believe it. It is full of Dinosaurs, Dragons, Super Hero's, and many mini cities allll made out of Lego... quite fascinating I must say! The taster sessions went well and the children and parents seemed to all enjoy themselves.
My roomies are good fun and we have enjoyed some amazing weather recently by hosting the odd BBQ. We are in the process of setting up SKY for our phone, internet and tv so I should have a # to be reached at soon.
Went around and saw the sights of London with a couple friends the other day and then again with Lois upon her visit. Among other things we saw Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Chinatown or Soho, Chelsea FC stadium (Stamford Bridge), Big Ben, London Eye, Parliament buildings, Trafalgar Square... etc. etc. etc.
Now that I have been here for a little while I am going to try make a conscientious effort to take advantage of my surroundings and actually plan a weekend away. Has anybody got any suggestions??? Message me and tell me where I should go... I am thinking France initially, maybe the South of France, or maybe Germany... I don't know but I feel like I can't take for granted where I am and the vast possibilities for travel!
CANADA JUMPS 38 POSITIONS IN FIFA RANKINGS:
Yes you heard it hear first, Canada jumped to 56th in the world rankings in soccer which is close to the best we have ever been after wins in the Gold Cup over Haiti and Costa Rica (who were in the World Cup last year). Excellent lads! I am so proud... bring home the Cup and keep working your way up the ladder. Looking forward to the game on Saturday.
Wimbledon is fast approaching and I am calling for an upset of all upsets. Yup, Roger who is unbeatable at Wimbledon and on anything but clay is going to drop to Nadal... Nadal is in his head after beating him in the French Open and is confident and playing the best tennis of his life. Plus he is in the tune-up tourney in London while Roger is sitting out for rest. Nadal will roll in and win it.
How is Toronto FC doing?? I have seen that they are winning, I hear the games are a lot of fun live.
Props to the Ducks for raising the Cup, too bad about the CDN team going down but at least the Ducks are full o Canadian players. I think we scored 15 of the teams 16 goals in the finals alone! Too bad for the Ducks there will be no repeat as I am sure the Leafs are going for it next year. Even if I have to come out of retirement and will them to it, they WILL win the Cup next year. You heard it here first!
Will be celebrating with you in spirit on July 1st Canada!!
Cheers,
Ryan
I have had some requests to get writing on here a little more frequently as I have been a bit of a slacker as of late in this department... My mum has pretty much convinced me to join Facebook but until I actually sign up the boycott stands!!!
I have had my trial visitors stay here in Herne Hill London and must say that it was a resounding success. Rachel and Megan, thanks for making an appearance it was cool to see you both... I now know not to take my guests to the Fridge (Caribbean bar) in Brixton (slums). We have an extra room here and it is a good little set up.
Please check list below to see if your name appears:
List of visitors thus far in England:
Lauren Duhaime
Brigit Jessup
Megan Kenney
Rachel Smeding
Lois Dion
If your name does not appear here... what is the problem. Let us rectify this situation before it gets out of hand.
Update - Legoland was wicked! You would have to see this place to believe it. It is full of Dinosaurs, Dragons, Super Hero's, and many mini cities allll made out of Lego... quite fascinating I must say! The taster sessions went well and the children and parents seemed to all enjoy themselves.
My roomies are good fun and we have enjoyed some amazing weather recently by hosting the odd BBQ. We are in the process of setting up SKY for our phone, internet and tv so I should have a # to be reached at soon.
Went around and saw the sights of London with a couple friends the other day and then again with Lois upon her visit. Among other things we saw Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Chinatown or Soho, Chelsea FC stadium (Stamford Bridge), Big Ben, London Eye, Parliament buildings, Trafalgar Square... etc. etc. etc.
Now that I have been here for a little while I am going to try make a conscientious effort to take advantage of my surroundings and actually plan a weekend away. Has anybody got any suggestions??? Message me and tell me where I should go... I am thinking France initially, maybe the South of France, or maybe Germany... I don't know but I feel like I can't take for granted where I am and the vast possibilities for travel!
CANADA JUMPS 38 POSITIONS IN FIFA RANKINGS:
Yes you heard it hear first, Canada jumped to 56th in the world rankings in soccer which is close to the best we have ever been after wins in the Gold Cup over Haiti and Costa Rica (who were in the World Cup last year). Excellent lads! I am so proud... bring home the Cup and keep working your way up the ladder. Looking forward to the game on Saturday.
Wimbledon is fast approaching and I am calling for an upset of all upsets. Yup, Roger who is unbeatable at Wimbledon and on anything but clay is going to drop to Nadal... Nadal is in his head after beating him in the French Open and is confident and playing the best tennis of his life. Plus he is in the tune-up tourney in London while Roger is sitting out for rest. Nadal will roll in and win it.
How is Toronto FC doing?? I have seen that they are winning, I hear the games are a lot of fun live.
Props to the Ducks for raising the Cup, too bad about the CDN team going down but at least the Ducks are full o Canadian players. I think we scored 15 of the teams 16 goals in the finals alone! Too bad for the Ducks there will be no repeat as I am sure the Leafs are going for it next year. Even if I have to come out of retirement and will them to it, they WILL win the Cup next year. You heard it here first!
Will be celebrating with you in spirit on July 1st Canada!!
Cheers,
Ryan
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Some pics...
My Canadian coming through... BBQ
Lukas and I playing a little stick and puck!
My first home in England (Harwell) Me in front of Blenheim Palace
My long lost cousin Jamie and me out on the town!
PS - not very good at this business of putting pics on here... bear with me and I will figure it out!
Cheers!
Ryan
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
After a bit of a hiatus... the Blog is back!
Greetings and Salutations my family, friends and compatriots,
I thought it was due time that that I get back on the BBB (Baker Blog Bandwagon)... Lots has happened since the last time I wrote. The job is in full swing! Ben (former Director of Coaching) has been patient enough to let me shadow him for the month and show me the ropes. We have been visiting franchisee's a couple times a week to assess the coaching and quality of the sessions. This has brought me to Fullham, Chiswick, Islington, and Fleet. I have also been doing my first bit of coaching on the weekends doing three sessions and on Wednesdays doing a Little Kicks class of tots aged one and a half to two years and three months!! I am working on putting a program together for kids visiting Lego Land on June 6th, which is the big amusement park around in Windsor. I am loving the job so far and I feel like I am getting more confident with each session/visit.
I've managed to get a couple touristy things accomplished since I have been here. I made it to Oxford for a day of visiting free museums. Among them was the Museum of the history of science which displayed, among many other historically scientific artifacts, a chalkboard full of Einsteins work from a lecture performed at Oxford University. I also went up a big tower in an old church and did a little shopping... I hit up the Blenheim Palace today. This was pretty cool to see. It had a big section honouring the late Winston Churchill including letters to his dad, Lord Randolph. The letters were written when he was a child with topics ranging from him asking his dad to bring him home some stamps from Africa, to asking for daddy to send him money when he was away at school. He also wrote a letter apologizing for losing his dads watch in some pond, and wrote of how he payed 23 men from the infantry to dig a trench and empty the pond so he could get it back!! The palace was amazing and the tour took us through the room where past dukes and kings and queens had stayed, as well as through a massive Dining Room with the most amazing paintings I have ever seen. If I can figure out how to post pictures on here I will show the photographic evidence.
Last weekend was great fun. I met up with my long lost cousin Jamie whom I hadn't seen in about 10 years! We met up to watch the FA Cup final and then got together with my buddy Andrew Baker's friend Erin from Montreal and her boyfriend and then another friend of a friend that night. When I went to see Oksana she was sitting in a restaurant with Loren Duhaime. (A girl who also played soccer at Laurentian) I must say it was great to see somebody from back home!
The most recent develoment would have to be that I found myself a place to stay in London! After weeks of planning out trips to check out different neighbourhoods, flats, and houses... and cancelling each of these trips for one reason or another, I ended up taking the first place that I looked at. It is a huge house with six bedrooms, a large kitchen/ dining room and a fairly large back yard. My room is quite large with my own frenchish doors leading to the back garden and a fireplace. It's in a borough called Herne Hill which seems to have everything I am looking for! I will have plenty of room to put up any friends or family that would like to hang their hat for a night or two! (Let me know if you are planning to come to England anytime soon, there are still some nights available for this summer and I will be booking for next fall in the near future)
Some people were asking about how they could leave a message. Wellll it's simple. At the bottom of each posting it will say: 4 messages (or however many people have made)... click on that and then send a message using your google account. If you don't have one, sign up for one, its right there! It's great to hear from you all so don't be shy... show me some love!
I have to go now, tea and biscuits are calling my name! Oh, and I forgot to mention that it is a long weekend here and Harwell has its summer feast going on!! Woohoo... I am going to hit that up for sure, and might even cap it all off by attending the highly anticipated 'barn dance'! Brings me back to the Jr. Farmers Dances in Elmvale.
Peace out y'all... Bakes
I thought it was due time that that I get back on the BBB (Baker Blog Bandwagon)... Lots has happened since the last time I wrote. The job is in full swing! Ben (former Director of Coaching) has been patient enough to let me shadow him for the month and show me the ropes. We have been visiting franchisee's a couple times a week to assess the coaching and quality of the sessions. This has brought me to Fullham, Chiswick, Islington, and Fleet. I have also been doing my first bit of coaching on the weekends doing three sessions and on Wednesdays doing a Little Kicks class of tots aged one and a half to two years and three months!! I am working on putting a program together for kids visiting Lego Land on June 6th, which is the big amusement park around in Windsor. I am loving the job so far and I feel like I am getting more confident with each session/visit.
I've managed to get a couple touristy things accomplished since I have been here. I made it to Oxford for a day of visiting free museums. Among them was the Museum of the history of science which displayed, among many other historically scientific artifacts, a chalkboard full of Einsteins work from a lecture performed at Oxford University. I also went up a big tower in an old church and did a little shopping... I hit up the Blenheim Palace today. This was pretty cool to see. It had a big section honouring the late Winston Churchill including letters to his dad, Lord Randolph. The letters were written when he was a child with topics ranging from him asking his dad to bring him home some stamps from Africa, to asking for daddy to send him money when he was away at school. He also wrote a letter apologizing for losing his dads watch in some pond, and wrote of how he payed 23 men from the infantry to dig a trench and empty the pond so he could get it back!! The palace was amazing and the tour took us through the room where past dukes and kings and queens had stayed, as well as through a massive Dining Room with the most amazing paintings I have ever seen. If I can figure out how to post pictures on here I will show the photographic evidence.
Last weekend was great fun. I met up with my long lost cousin Jamie whom I hadn't seen in about 10 years! We met up to watch the FA Cup final and then got together with my buddy Andrew Baker's friend Erin from Montreal and her boyfriend and then another friend of a friend that night. When I went to see Oksana she was sitting in a restaurant with Loren Duhaime. (A girl who also played soccer at Laurentian) I must say it was great to see somebody from back home!
The most recent develoment would have to be that I found myself a place to stay in London! After weeks of planning out trips to check out different neighbourhoods, flats, and houses... and cancelling each of these trips for one reason or another, I ended up taking the first place that I looked at. It is a huge house with six bedrooms, a large kitchen/ dining room and a fairly large back yard. My room is quite large with my own frenchish doors leading to the back garden and a fireplace. It's in a borough called Herne Hill which seems to have everything I am looking for! I will have plenty of room to put up any friends or family that would like to hang their hat for a night or two! (Let me know if you are planning to come to England anytime soon, there are still some nights available for this summer and I will be booking for next fall in the near future)
Some people were asking about how they could leave a message. Wellll it's simple. At the bottom of each posting it will say: 4 messages (or however many people have made)... click on that and then send a message using your google account. If you don't have one, sign up for one, its right there! It's great to hear from you all so don't be shy... show me some love!
I have to go now, tea and biscuits are calling my name! Oh, and I forgot to mention that it is a long weekend here and Harwell has its summer feast going on!! Woohoo... I am going to hit that up for sure, and might even cap it all off by attending the highly anticipated 'barn dance'! Brings me back to the Jr. Farmers Dances in Elmvale.
Peace out y'all... Bakes
Friday, May 11, 2007
Top 3's
Deals -
3) £0.99 Fosters twist promo at some Pub in London
2) £0.99 for 500g of shaved turkey... 2/3 off!
1) 20 pack of Budweiser for... wait for it... £7.49...
Sidenote: Lets break down this top deal... £7.49 my dear friends is about $16 CDN! Allow me to retype that... $16 CDN! I may end up paying an arm a leg, and my first born for rent over here, but you won't find a deal like that on beer in Canada! Cheers anyways...
Meals -
1) BBQ at Frank and Christines - Ribs, Pork, Hamburgers, Salad, Roasted Taters, Asparagus...
1) BBQ at Kate's - Lamb with allllll the fixins
1) The First Supper - Bill and Hill treated me to a fine meal on my first night!
Sidenote: I decided to sit on the rating fence on this one as each meal could have easily stood alone at the top of the list... High five to each host!
Embarassments -
3) Music Trivia - I didn't represent well at the music trivia night in Harwell... but I did step up to the plate and come through on a Sheryl Crow song!
2) Walking into the girls washroom at the local pub... this one was averted due to the fact there were no girls in the Loo at the time... and in my defense, everything is backwards in the UK!
1) Stick and Puck - Don't ever play hockey in figure skates... 'nuff said.
Sidenote: Honourable Mention to the time I went for a run with the dog and gave some kids the two finger salute! Apparently holding the middle and index fingers directly in the air is not considered a wave in the UK, actually its just like holding up just the middle finger back home... Ladies and Gentlemen, your new football coach for children under 5!
British Words -
3) rubbish... has a nicer ring than garbage and can be used in so many different ways... Could you bring the rubbish to the curb? What a rubbish football match... can you rubbish a little lotion onto my back??
2) loo... as in "Can you please point me in the direction of the loo? AKA - Toilet, Bathroom, Restroom...
1) cheers... what a feel good word... not to mention its easier to write or type than thank you... It flows off the tongue so eloquently...
Sidenote: mince = ground beef... frankfurter = hot dog... tube = subway... high street = main street... flat = apartment... motorway = highway... football = soccer... juicy bits = pulp...
Canadian sport through the eyes of the most popular radio station in England -
3) Oil wrestling
2) Pillow fighting
1) Man vs. Animal fighting
Sidenote: If I'm lying I'm dying, there was about a week of morning show radio outlining the top sports in Canada... They even played audio clips with commentary! It was riveting really. I can't wait to come home on vacation for a little game of pick up pillow fighting...
I have put off laundry for long enough... time to get my cleaning face on!
Time to make like a 747 at Gatwick and take off...
Stay classy Canada
3) £0.99 Fosters twist promo at some Pub in London
2) £0.99 for 500g of shaved turkey... 2/3 off!
1) 20 pack of Budweiser for... wait for it... £7.49...
Sidenote: Lets break down this top deal... £7.49 my dear friends is about $16 CDN! Allow me to retype that... $16 CDN! I may end up paying an arm a leg, and my first born for rent over here, but you won't find a deal like that on beer in Canada! Cheers anyways...
Meals -
1) BBQ at Frank and Christines - Ribs, Pork, Hamburgers, Salad, Roasted Taters, Asparagus...
1) BBQ at Kate's - Lamb with allllll the fixins
1) The First Supper - Bill and Hill treated me to a fine meal on my first night!
Sidenote: I decided to sit on the rating fence on this one as each meal could have easily stood alone at the top of the list... High five to each host!
Embarassments -
3) Music Trivia - I didn't represent well at the music trivia night in Harwell... but I did step up to the plate and come through on a Sheryl Crow song!
2) Walking into the girls washroom at the local pub... this one was averted due to the fact there were no girls in the Loo at the time... and in my defense, everything is backwards in the UK!
1) Stick and Puck - Don't ever play hockey in figure skates... 'nuff said.
Sidenote: Honourable Mention to the time I went for a run with the dog and gave some kids the two finger salute! Apparently holding the middle and index fingers directly in the air is not considered a wave in the UK, actually its just like holding up just the middle finger back home... Ladies and Gentlemen, your new football coach for children under 5!
British Words -
3) rubbish... has a nicer ring than garbage and can be used in so many different ways... Could you bring the rubbish to the curb? What a rubbish football match... can you rubbish a little lotion onto my back??
2) loo... as in "Can you please point me in the direction of the loo? AKA - Toilet, Bathroom, Restroom...
1) cheers... what a feel good word... not to mention its easier to write or type than thank you... It flows off the tongue so eloquently...
Sidenote: mince = ground beef... frankfurter = hot dog... tube = subway... high street = main street... flat = apartment... motorway = highway... football = soccer... juicy bits = pulp...
Canadian sport through the eyes of the most popular radio station in England -
3) Oil wrestling
2) Pillow fighting
1) Man vs. Animal fighting
Sidenote: If I'm lying I'm dying, there was about a week of morning show radio outlining the top sports in Canada... They even played audio clips with commentary! It was riveting really. I can't wait to come home on vacation for a little game of pick up pillow fighting...
I have put off laundry for long enough... time to get my cleaning face on!
Time to make like a 747 at Gatwick and take off...
Stay classy Canada
Monday, May 7, 2007
Ryan joins the Quarter Century Club in style...
What a weekend... brief synopsis: SATURDAY was golf and a big BBQ with alllll the fixin's... after the BBQ the lads watched match of the day (football highlights) and the ladies sang their hearts out while playing Karaoke hero on the Playstation... It didn't take long until we all joined in and sang til the wee hours... got my first game of golf in, if you call slicing drives into the next fairway and three-putting from 10 feet golf!! SUNDAY I played some mean stick and puck with Lucas... Lucas was brilliant and scored the first goal in the scrimmage! But the real battle was the wipe-out tally which I won convincingly 6 - 4! Thats right I spent most of the time on the ice... I looked something fierce out there with my red figure skates, boys hockey helmet, and a chunk of lumber fit for a man twice my size! If I never have to wear figure skates again, I will be a happy, happy man!
Last night we had another BBQ at a neighbours place and celebrated my birthday with some cake and a couple gifts. Among them were a couple travel books and some excellent English chocolates. Cheers to all for a great night. My apologies to KATE for referring to you as ANNE the other day in my blog... Kate, this could be seen as a compliment as everyone I know with the name Anne I hold in very high regard! (My nanny for example) Kate was our gracious host last night. She cooks the meanest lamb this side of London and that is NOT an understatement...
On another note I am thinking about living in London reather than Reading... much more going on and the price difference is minimal from what I understand.
Big up for my boy Steve Nash holding it down in Phoenix... anybody see the battle wound he ended up with last night in the first game of the second round?? What a trooper! Raps are toast... what a disappointment. They certainly did not play to their potential in the first round...
Hope all is well with everyone...
Cheers,
Baker
Last night we had another BBQ at a neighbours place and celebrated my birthday with some cake and a couple gifts. Among them were a couple travel books and some excellent English chocolates. Cheers to all for a great night. My apologies to KATE for referring to you as ANNE the other day in my blog... Kate, this could be seen as a compliment as everyone I know with the name Anne I hold in very high regard! (My nanny for example) Kate was our gracious host last night. She cooks the meanest lamb this side of London and that is NOT an understatement...
On another note I am thinking about living in London reather than Reading... much more going on and the price difference is minimal from what I understand.
Big up for my boy Steve Nash holding it down in Phoenix... anybody see the battle wound he ended up with last night in the first game of the second round?? What a trooper! Raps are toast... what a disappointment. They certainly did not play to their potential in the first round...
Hope all is well with everyone...
Cheers,
Baker
Saturday, May 5, 2007
First night at the Pub!
I just arrived home from my first night at the Pub. We had a trivia night which was mostly musically based... I did lousy and my fellow team did slightly better and got us 4th place out of 7. It was a great time with Christine, Frank and Anne... I had a Fosters, Kronenburg, and some Cider drink which was spot on!
I am a little sad that I will be missing the Raps game tonight but I am there in spirit and have full faith that they will win and then take the Nets at home! VC sucks, VC sucks...
This weekend I am getting my first golf game in and I am going to play Stick and Puck (unorganized hockey) with my good friend Lucas who is 6 years old and just starting to play the game. There is a BBQ on Sunday where we will be eating some mean lamb and maybe a few things going on in between.
Much love to all... Ry
I am a little sad that I will be missing the Raps game tonight but I am there in spirit and have full faith that they will win and then take the Nets at home! VC sucks, VC sucks...
This weekend I am getting my first golf game in and I am going to play Stick and Puck (unorganized hockey) with my good friend Lucas who is 6 years old and just starting to play the game. There is a BBQ on Sunday where we will be eating some mean lamb and maybe a few things going on in between.
Much love to all... Ry
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Finally made it to England... safe and sound
After weeks of anticipation, a number of going away parties and a few goodbyes I have made it to England. So for those of you who thought that I was never going to leave, I have in fact accepted a job in the UK and have made the move! That means that my weekly going away parties must end...
My flight was interesting to say the least. My parents and little bro and sis saw me off at the airport after a nice meal with my sisters family. My flight that was originally supposed to leave at 10:50pm from Hamilton didn't leave until about 1:30am. Once we got on the flight we all realized that they had combined two direct flights, one which was to go directly to Glasgow and one that was to head directly to London. Well we got on the flight and were told that the flight would go to London and then to Glasgow!! I've never seen such a large group of mad Scotsman!! There was yelling and screaming and carrying on which basically fell on deaf ears because our flight crew was Icelandic. Their english left a lot to be desired but these Icelandic ladies were not hard to look at so it made the flight slightly more bearable.
I arrived at Gatwick airport around 2pm in the afternoon local time where I was met by a good friend of the family. Bill and Hillary, or the Hillbillies as they are often referred to as were very welcoming and fed me well. It was a bit of a trade actually as they left today to head to Canada to visit my grandparents. They live in a town called Crawley which is quite nice. I went out for a little adventure on a purple raleigh bike to tour around the town. Among other things I saw a Lambourghini... a game of netball (much like basketball)... a few football matches (soccer of course)... and checked out a local golf course. Luckily the golf is about the same price as in Canada, £14 for a round so it is pretty reasonable.
I am now at the Stanschus household which is in Harwell (about an hour from London). BIG THANKS to Christine who drove about three hours round-trip to pick me up from Bill and Hill's. Her and her family have been kind enough to allow me to stay here for a little while until I get myself organized and find my own flat. They live in a beautiful house which is about 550 years old!!! I am starting work tomorrow and will be shadowing the current director of coaching for the next month as part of my training for this role. I found out today that my franchise visits will bring me not only around England but also to Ireland, Greece and Africa!
That brings you up to date... cheers to all my family and friends for all your support over the last few weeks and I look forward to seeing you all soon... when you come to visit me!
On a side note, I am going for blog of the year and in order to get this prestigious award I will need the support of you! Leave a message to let me know how you are doing, comment on my blog, or whatever else your heart desires... I think as of right now, Gilbert Arena's blog on NBA.com is tops and I look forward to joining such an elite rank soon! (wait are there blog awards?) Oh and check out this article: http://www.littlekickers.co.uk/news.aspx
Cheerio!
My flight was interesting to say the least. My parents and little bro and sis saw me off at the airport after a nice meal with my sisters family. My flight that was originally supposed to leave at 10:50pm from Hamilton didn't leave until about 1:30am. Once we got on the flight we all realized that they had combined two direct flights, one which was to go directly to Glasgow and one that was to head directly to London. Well we got on the flight and were told that the flight would go to London and then to Glasgow!! I've never seen such a large group of mad Scotsman!! There was yelling and screaming and carrying on which basically fell on deaf ears because our flight crew was Icelandic. Their english left a lot to be desired but these Icelandic ladies were not hard to look at so it made the flight slightly more bearable.
I arrived at Gatwick airport around 2pm in the afternoon local time where I was met by a good friend of the family. Bill and Hillary, or the Hillbillies as they are often referred to as were very welcoming and fed me well. It was a bit of a trade actually as they left today to head to Canada to visit my grandparents. They live in a town called Crawley which is quite nice. I went out for a little adventure on a purple raleigh bike to tour around the town. Among other things I saw a Lambourghini... a game of netball (much like basketball)... a few football matches (soccer of course)... and checked out a local golf course. Luckily the golf is about the same price as in Canada, £14 for a round so it is pretty reasonable.
I am now at the Stanschus household which is in Harwell (about an hour from London). BIG THANKS to Christine who drove about three hours round-trip to pick me up from Bill and Hill's. Her and her family have been kind enough to allow me to stay here for a little while until I get myself organized and find my own flat. They live in a beautiful house which is about 550 years old!!! I am starting work tomorrow and will be shadowing the current director of coaching for the next month as part of my training for this role. I found out today that my franchise visits will bring me not only around England but also to Ireland, Greece and Africa!
That brings you up to date... cheers to all my family and friends for all your support over the last few weeks and I look forward to seeing you all soon... when you come to visit me!
On a side note, I am going for blog of the year and in order to get this prestigious award I will need the support of you! Leave a message to let me know how you are doing, comment on my blog, or whatever else your heart desires... I think as of right now, Gilbert Arena's blog on NBA.com is tops and I look forward to joining such an elite rank soon! (wait are there blog awards?) Oh and check out this article: http://www.littlekickers.co.uk/news.aspx
Cheerio!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
DOD (Date of Departure) set for May 1st, 2007
If you have discovered this page (MY BLOG) you are likely aware of my situation! I am the latest employee of a company called 'Little Kickers' which is based in England... as the head of coaching. After careful consideration and weighing out all the pros and cons I have decided to move to Reading (just west of London) due to the fact that the commute from Hillsdale Canada would be time consuming and quite frankly a little bit pricey.
As of today (April 26th) I have booked my flight and received my working visa for the UK. Me being the thrifty (cheap) man that I am, I scored a direct flight from Hamilton to London for $242-.
I have yet to secure a place to live and hope to take care of this once I get to England and can actually take a good look around. That being said, those of you who are considering making a trip to England or anywhere else in Europe for that matter should let me know. For a small fee (a pint of lager at a local pub) I would be happy to put you up!!
The purpose of this blog is to keep my friends and family up to date on what I am doing... my transformation into a Canadian/Brit... my new job... my travels... and I guess whatever else I want to talk about!!
Check back and I will let you know how my first few days in England were.
As of today (April 26th) I have booked my flight and received my working visa for the UK. Me being the thrifty (cheap) man that I am, I scored a direct flight from Hamilton to London for $242-.
I have yet to secure a place to live and hope to take care of this once I get to England and can actually take a good look around. That being said, those of you who are considering making a trip to England or anywhere else in Europe for that matter should let me know. For a small fee (a pint of lager at a local pub) I would be happy to put you up!!
The purpose of this blog is to keep my friends and family up to date on what I am doing... my transformation into a Canadian/Brit... my new job... my travels... and I guess whatever else I want to talk about!!
Check back and I will let you know how my first few days in England were.
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