Pictures I Took This Evening While Walking Home From Work With My Mobile

WEEKEND IN PICTURES

Friday night some friends and I were invited to Mike and Erica's beautiful (and recently renovated) flat in the Southside for dinner and champagne. Mike and Erica are getting married in a couple weeks and for a couple about to tie the knot, they seem calm and "totes" with it.

They made a delicious dinner of sweet potato curry (I think) and we finished the evening like total divas and sipped Vive Clicquot.

Ok, so a couple weeks ago, around 10.30pm, I was sitting in my flat talking to Paul on the phone. Outside I heard a loud THUD. Seconds later a woman let loose with a blood-curdling scream; a scream that I had never heard anything like in my life. I rushed to the window to see a man lying on the side of the road and woman being consoled on the sidewalk.

It was a hit and run.

The police were on the scene in seconds; the ambulance, however, took what seemed like hours.

Anyway, I never wrote about it because (a) I wasn't sure what entirely happened and (b) I didn't know if the man hit survived or what. Well, it seems he has survived but is in critical condition. The police and concerned friends are looking for help to find the asshole that hit him so please, if anyone saw anything call the number on the poster.

Now - for something a wee bit lighter: here is a video of wee Daniel, Paul's 2 year old brother, BEGGING to see pictures of Paul and I. Daniel is one person who cannot get enough of our holiday pics!

If you have any interest in Glasgow, whatsoever, you absolutely NEED to watch this 25 minute documentary. If you live in Glasgow, you have no other excuse NOT to watch it other than just being a lazy bastard. It's astonishing to see what Glasgow used to look like and what life was like in the early 80s; it's unbelievable how far Glasgow has come and yet, how little has changed in the cycle of poverty.

Anyway - great wee documentary from (now ITV) London Weekend Television. Thanks to Paul for pointing it out. It should also be noted that alcohol is now banned from sporting games in Scotland.

Remember that really successful Canadian 80s band, Glass Tiger? Remember their song, "My Town"? Ok, am I the only one who never knew that the song was about GLASGOW? What the hell?!

Random Question for the Weekend: Whatever Happened to OMC?

I got back from London last night and never thought I would be so relieved to see the familiar grey sky of Glasgow. Not that I didn't like London - quite the opposite, in fact; I was just feeling rather homesick after two intensive days of training and inductions. As such, I didn't get to see much of London - apart from the glimpses of Hyde Park from my hotel room and coach bus. I did, however, manage to get out to Soho to meet up with friends from Glasgow for drinks on Monday night though.

It's weird but most people in London dress like they are in a band - or are A & R reps. Yeah, yeah, London is cool and it's such a great city, blah blah blah. London just felt like another country and I suppose it is: England. The buildings looked different (brighter, cleaner) the people seemed more ethnically diverse, and they all sounded strange (English).

One of the more interesting aspects of my trip down south, was meeting other people - most of whom were London-based and English. What was interesting, in fact, was hearing some of their uncensored views of Glasgow and "the locals". Most seem confused by my love and adoration of Glasgow. Isn't it full of drugs and crime, they asked? Aye, I suppose it is, LIKE ANY MAJOR CITY. One posh English woman asked if I had trouble understanding "the locals". Once they manage to pry the Buckfast from their scabby lips, I don't! I suppose they viewed me not as a "local" but as an outsider, thereby allowing their truer beliefs to come through.

I suppose that after two days of explaining that I live in Glasgow, and actually loving it, I was sick of people telling me HOW! GREAT! LONDON! IS! It was refreshing to meet up with my Glasgow friends - especially Laurie, who wasn't entirely taken with that notion.

Recognise this set? Oh hey, it's the 10 0'clock news desk.

Pub in Soho - The Toucan. We spent far too many hours in here talking about pooping your pants.

Me, Mark (as previously written about) and recently-relocated Glaswegian, Laurie!

Krazee eyez Killah!

MORE PHOTOS FROM OUR HOLIDAY

$1 million dollar super bus that took us out onto the Columbia Icefield glacier in Jasper National Park.

Paul on top of Sulpher Mountain, overlooking Banff.

Paul on the Icefields Parkway; just your average view in Banff National Park.


Glacier

Athabasca Glacier - as seen from the visiter centre. About 125 years ago, the glacier came all the way down to where the car park currently is.

On the glacier.

Paul freezing on the glacier. While we trekked about on the glacier, it began to snow.

Melting glacier.

Me freezing on the glacier.


Leaving our outrageously priced (but totally worth it) hotel - Banff Springs. Worth the price alone just for the pools, especially the heated outdoor pool surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. Sigh...

Tomorrow afternoon I am going to London for a couple days for work. Although having lived in Glasgow for about a year and a half, I have never properly been to London. When I usually tell people that I've never set foot in the big smoke, they look aghast with their mouths agape.

"But you've lived in Glasgow for almost two years now", they say.

Aye, I've been living in Glasgow for almost two years now and I STILL have yet to see Arran or Stirling or Barra. That is, Scotland is so beautiful, rugged, and charming, that I've been more interested in trying to cover every corner of it. Sure, London may be the centre of the western world, but I highly doubt that the locals are as colourful and friendly as they are up here.

Based on the screaming and singing outside my flat, I am going to assume that Scotland won against France in the Euro 2008 qualifier.

About 45 minutes ago, I heard screaming outside. So many people spontaneously started screaming; Scotland must have scored, I thought. Just then my neighbour downstairs threw open his door, stepped outside and at the top of his lungs screamed, "HOLY FUUUUUUCK"!!! I checked online and yep, Scotland had just scored against France.

So i am back in Glasgow, and back to work. It was very strange to board a plane Saturday evening and arrive Sunday morning in Glasgow, back to my flat.

Our holiday was fantastic and I'm glad that Paul got to experience the vast extremities that is Canada: from lounging on a beach in Southern Ontario to walking on a glacier that is 5 times the size of Manhattan and 1200 feet thick - all the while snowing.

I will miss watching Paul as he hesitates to cross the street - still adjusting to the fact that pedestrians have the right of way in Canada. Or looking perplexed as cars stopped in the middle of the road, allowing us to jaywalk. In the UK, people actually speed up while you cross the street.

And what extremities there are in Glasgow; walking to work yesterday morning, through a traditionally "rough" and dodgy area (Govan), I saw the above building. I have no idea why, but part of the wall has been removed, exposing the office inside. Talk about a view!

Greetings from Alberta!So, Banff National Park is probably the most beautiful place on earth. I was sad to fly back to Toronto this evening - even sadder as we head back to Glasgow tomorrow night. It's the end of our holiday.

Paul and I managed to do loads these past two weeks: experience the infamous Toronto humidity, Niagara Falls, spot some Canadian celebrities; stomp about on the glass floor in the CN Tower; stand on top of a mountain; trek about a glacier; see some elk; go off-roading on back country trails in a 4x4 bronco; snowmobiling on grass (don't ask); and of course, see snow. Yes, snow. It began to snow as we trekked about the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park.

Initially I wasn't that excited about a holiday in my homeland - how much fun can it be being a tourist in your own country? Holy shit, you guys - it's awesome. Canada is fucking brilliant. I'm going to miss it all over again once I land in gloomy Glasgow, I just know it.

Quick side note: why are people in Alberta so bloody nice?! People in Calgary and Banff have to be the most friendliest and politest specimens of humanity I have ever met. It's almost creepy.