We had some problems this morning getting to Ricky's friends place. We found where they lived alright, but Ricky couldn't remember which apartment it was nor did he have access to their phone number. So we spent about forty minutes walking around that neighbourhood trying to get wifi on our phones to contact them. We are the new generation of underprepared, technology-dependent travelers.
His friends were nice and I had a cliche coffee and croissant breakfast with them before making my way across the river to Vincennes, the area my family friend, Beoy, lives in.
I first met Beoy in 2000 when she hosted Karol and I at the beginning and end of our first ever backpacking trip. She had been a friend of my dads and kindly put us up and fed us. In fact, she did, and always has since, feed us like kings. On Karol and my 23 day, 5 country, very-tight-budget trip we mostly survived on supermarket bread, canned tuna and cooking wine which we consumed in parks or on overnight trains.
Beoy is a great host and a great person. The thing I love about her most is that their are no formalities, no pretense, and no nonsense. Whether it be a person she has just met or someone she hasn't seen in many years, she will enter directly into challenging conversation. Although I've only met her three times in twelve years, I feel totally comfortable in talking to her about anything including my worries, fears, and mistakes. And I'm always certain that she will give me an honest, un-sugarcoated opinion based on her own logic, knowledge and experience.
I had lunch and dinner with Beoy, a real treat after weeks on the road since she only eats high quality organic food and cooks very well. After dinner we enjoyed some wine and a good chat. I told Beoy of my lack of future plans, but possibility of moving to Canada to utilise my Canadian citizenship. She strongly suggested I go to Australia instead saying the climate and prospects for work there are great and that Canada has recently joined most other countries in the recession. Perhaps Australia could be an option for me. I spent a year there when I was younger and loved it. And it's pretty close to Asia. But I've heard so many people are immigrating there these days that it might be competitive. Beoy said to forget that and go anyway, "it's a big country". I'll definitely think on it.
His friends were nice and I had a cliche coffee and croissant breakfast with them before making my way across the river to Vincennes, the area my family friend, Beoy, lives in.
I first met Beoy in 2000 when she hosted Karol and I at the beginning and end of our first ever backpacking trip. She had been a friend of my dads and kindly put us up and fed us. In fact, she did, and always has since, feed us like kings. On Karol and my 23 day, 5 country, very-tight-budget trip we mostly survived on supermarket bread, canned tuna and cooking wine which we consumed in parks or on overnight trains.
Beoy is a great host and a great person. The thing I love about her most is that their are no formalities, no pretense, and no nonsense. Whether it be a person she has just met or someone she hasn't seen in many years, she will enter directly into challenging conversation. Although I've only met her three times in twelve years, I feel totally comfortable in talking to her about anything including my worries, fears, and mistakes. And I'm always certain that she will give me an honest, un-sugarcoated opinion based on her own logic, knowledge and experience.
I had lunch and dinner with Beoy, a real treat after weeks on the road since she only eats high quality organic food and cooks very well. After dinner we enjoyed some wine and a good chat. I told Beoy of my lack of future plans, but possibility of moving to Canada to utilise my Canadian citizenship. She strongly suggested I go to Australia instead saying the climate and prospects for work there are great and that Canada has recently joined most other countries in the recession. Perhaps Australia could be an option for me. I spent a year there when I was younger and loved it. And it's pretty close to Asia. But I've heard so many people are immigrating there these days that it might be competitive. Beoy said to forget that and go anyway, "it's a big country". I'll definitely think on it.
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