Vancouver Cabins

Inside Track: October Offers for Train Travelers

For most of us, the sun’s hanging just a bit lower in the sky these days. Summer’s well behind us and it’s time to get down to business.

Or not.

Not… because October holds rail potential for travel savings and perks. That makes this the perfect time to take advantage of seasonal train travel savings on BritRail passes… big savings on selected VIA Rail Canada trains… and free travel aboard the Grand Canyon Railway. Great rail deals, too: like an end-of season freebie for Orient-Express passengers… and extra Guest rewards points from Amtrak. Read on…

BritRail Seasonal Savings Trim 20%

Slow season is go season for BritRail; thanks to best-of-year travel savings from mid Autumn until late winter! Go from Lands End to London to Hadrian’s Wall with a BritRail England low season rail pass. Or kick it up and combine England, Scotland and Wales with an all inclusive BritRail Britain low season rail pass. Either way you save an extra 20% off your already value-priced BritRail pass.

For busy itineraries entailing non-stop travel, there’s the day-by-day convenience of a Consecutive rail pass with 3, 4, 8, 15 or 22 days, or 1 month of consecutive travel. For slower paces, Flexipass options let laid back travelers space out 3, 4, 8 or 15 non-consecutive travel days over a 2 month period.

Savings of 20% on BritRail England and BritRail Britain low season rail  passes are available for first class or second class train travel (first class limitations apply). Extra 20% savings valid only for travel between 01 November 2009 and 28 February 2010. To order your savings-priced BritRail passes now, visit the RailEurope.com website or call 1-800-622-8600 in the USA, 1-800-361-7245 in Canada.

Amtrak Guest Rewards Matches Point for Point

Good news for Amtrak Guest Rewards members: you can earn double points this fall! All train routes and travel classes are eligible so, now through 19 December 2009, your Amtrak Guest Rewards membership entitles you to double points every time you travel with Amtrak. Points are redeemable for travel with Amtrak, Carnival, Continental and more… plus purchases with merchants like Bloomingdale’s, CVS, Barnes & Noble, Red Lobster and Lowe’s.

You can also earn additional points by trading with any of 170 AGR partners including Hertz, Hilton and Telaflora.

To earn double points, you need to be enrolled in the Amtrak Guest Rewards program and registered to participate in the double points offer. To enroll in the AGR program online, and earn an extra 500 points, go to the AmtrakGuestRewards.com website. To take advantage of the double points offer, register at the AmtrakGuestRewards.com website using registration code 91409; or call 1-800-307-5000, select option 2, and enter the registration code.

Grand Canyon Railway offers Golden Opportunities

The calendar is slipping but its not too late to join the Grand Canyon Railway in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its vintage diesel locomotives. Born in 1959? Boomers lucky enough to turn 50 before 2009′s close have the opportunity to ride free aboard the Grand Canyon Railway! Married in 1959? Couples celebrating their Golden Anniversaries during 2009 are invited to share a romantic train ride — free of charge — courtesy of the Grand Canyon Railway.

To take advantage of the Grand Canyon Railway’s special 50th Anniversary offer, travel must be completed by 31 December 2009 (Birthday celebrants must travel within seven days of their birth dates). To arrange free train travel for yourself or someone special, call 1-800-843-8724 and use promo code 50 ANNIVERSARY.

Orient-Express Ends the Season in Style

It’s the perfect prelude to a classic journey aboard the world’s most famous luxury train! Book yourself a night aboard the final Orient-Express rail tour of the season and start your holiday with two free nights at the sumptuous four-star Londra Palace Hotel in Venice.

Venice, Verona, Innsbruck, Paris, London: the classic itinerary unfolds aboard splendid Wagons-Lits carriages. Journey highlights include Alpine views at lunch, piano bar before and after a sumptuous four-course dinner, and brunch accompanied by views of the French countryside. The journey’s all-inclusive price includes all table d’hôte meals and beverages.

The Orient-Express begins its last rail tour of the season on 02 November 2009. To book your compartment, visit the Orient-Express.com website — and be sure to use promo code VP2N.

Save 50% to 75% with Express Deals Across Canada

Discover VIA Rail Express Deals, and you’ve tracked down the best rail values in all of Canada. If you’re the spontaneous type: if you can pick up and leave on a moment’s notice or if you’re up for heading out in new directions, VIA Rail Canada’s Express Deals open a world of rail adventure.

Deals change daily: departure and arrival points can range between Vancouver’s west coast cool; the Rocky Mountain’s unspoiled heights; Toronto’s skyscraper caverns; Montréal’s joie de vivre; and Gaspé’s Atlantic shore. Offers can range from next day to 30 or more days in advance. Available traveling classes can include anything from economy coach to sleeper cabins with showers.

To book savings of 50% to 75% on last minute and selected train travel in Canada, visit the Express Deals page on the VIARail.ca website and use discount code EXPRESS.

Travel Agents in Toronto Canada | Gill International Travel Agency

If you want to contact a Air Ticket Booking company by phone to book a ticket, by fax or mail for any questions regarding services Baggage Air Company proposed for checked baggage, cabin baggage, excess Baggage and baggage services at home, visit the booking page or call Gill International Travel advisors. Air Tickets info that can inform you about the benefits of the Gill International Travel Agency.

Toronto:
3331 Markham Road # 115 Building D
Toronto ,ON M1X0A8
Nearest Intersection : Markham Rd. and Steels Ave.
Tel – 4163239898
Fax – 4167467700
E-mail : toronto@gitcanada.com

Website: http://gillinternationaltravel.com

Travel Agents Toronto, Gill International Travel established in February 1982. It is the largest network of Travel Agencies nation wide having 12 branch locations and associate offices in Canada (Coast to Coast), USA and India. Company has net sales of over $48 million, poised to grow dynamically as business conditions require.

“Gill International” is a premier chain of travel agents in Canada having more than 13 branches in the country. Finding an agent according to your mood is hard-hitting. It’s just like hunting a fish in the ocean where there are so many options, but one should recognize the importance of their time and money. Our agencies are IATA approved, experienced and in Canada, having all travel and tour related services including Airline, Railway tickets, Hotel Booking, Car Hire, Travel Insurance, Visas to tailor made exotic and budgetary tour packages for Leisure and business travelers. Our travel agents specialize in exotic locations, honey moon packages, heritage, spiritual, cultural and theme travel. Its fame has urged us to spread our branches all over the country. We have our branches in major cities of Canada like Toronto, Markham, Malton, Vancouver e.t.c. For details of our travel agents in your city please see below.

Freestyle Skiing Olympic Tickets For Uk Fans

Aerialists FreeStyle Skiing Tickets, usually built of wood, sometimes metal and then covered with snow, that propel them up to 40-50 feet in the air. Once in the air, professional aerialists perform multiple flips and twists before landing on a 34- to 39-degree inclined landing hill about 100 feet in length. The top male aerialists can currently perform triple back flips with up to four or five twists. Quadruple back flips have been performed on snow (purposely) by four men: Frank Bare, Matt Chojnaki, Eric Bergoust and Nicholas Fontaine. Currently quad flips are not legal in competition. There are two varieties of aerial skiing competitions: upright and inverted. In upright aerials, movements in which a skierâ??s feet come higher than his or her head are illegal. This is the most common type of aerials competition for junior competitors. In inverted aerials, skiers execute elaborate flips and somersaults. Scoring Aerial skiing is a judged sport, and competitors are judged on jump takeoff (20%), jump form (50%) and landing (30%). A degree of difficulty (DD) is then factored in for a total score. Mogul skiing Mogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers ski terrain characterized by a large number of different bumps, or â??moguls.â? Ski ballet No longer a part of competitive freestyle skiing, ski ballet (later renamed acroski) was a third freestyle discipline. Competitions were conducted from the late-1960s until the mid-1990s. Ballet involved a choreographed routine of flips, rolls, leg crossings, jumps, and spins performed on a smooth slope. After the mid-1970s the routine was performed to music for 90 seconds. A panel of judges scored the performance. It was a demonstration sport in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics. Skiercross Ski cross (also known as skiercross or skier-X) is a relatively new type of skiing competition. It is based on the motorbike discipline of motocross. Despite it being a timed racing event, it is often considered part of freestyle skiing because it incorporates terrain features traditionally found in freestyle. In a time trial or qualification round, every competitor skis down the course, which is built to encompass both naturally occurring terrain and artificial features like jumps, rollers, banks â?? whatever the course builder can imagine. After the time trial, the fastest 16 (in womenâ??s events) or 32 skiers (in menâ??s events) compete in a knockout (KO)-style series in rounds of four. A group of four skiers start simultaneously and attempt to reach the end of the course. The first two to cross the finish line will advance to the next round. At the end, the final and small final rounds determine 1st to 4th and 5th to 8th places, respectively. Competitors are not allowed to pull or push each other during the KO finals. Any intentional contact to the other competitors will be penalized by disqualification or exclusion from the next race. The International Ski Federation (FIS)â??s FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup has recently added ski cross competitions to its calendar in addition to moguls and aerials. You will find the competition calendar, results, biographies of athletes, news and more on World Cup, Europa Cup and FIS ranked events. The International Olympic Committee decided on November 28, 2006, to include ski cross in the programme of the 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver.

The first company to market twin tip skis was Salomon in 1997-1998. freestyle Skiing began to gain more popularity and companies started making backcountry style twin tips for skiers to push the limits of freestyle Skiing and take it away from the snowparks. Salomon celebrated the 10th year anniversary of the 1080 during IF3 International freestyle Skiing Film Festival in 2008. When freeskiing began in the late 1990â??s only a select few resorts were home to a terrain park. Over the past decade most mountains have adopted the idea of have a terrain park, if not two or more. Most parks include features such as: step-up jumps, step-down jumps, tabletop jumps, boxes, and rails. Terrain park crews have been taking concepts even further recently though adding miscellaneous features like cars, empty propane tanks, barrels, and even small cabins that can be ridden or used as a place to warm up to the landscape of the park. In the western US the park features tend to be larger than those in the east, in relation to the size of mountains.

For Further Contact call us on 0044(0)207494 3245
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E-mail us on sales@yourticketmarket.com

The Insider Deal on Cruising Alaska

Alaska is the perfect destination for cruising, even for non-cruisers! The advantage is a continuous view of nature at its finest. There are opportunities to be adventurous on land at every stop. You can book the ship tours, or if you are really independent, do you research before you go, decide what you want to see and do and plan it yourself. There are plenty of independent guides that can take you around if you do not feel like being with your cruise mates. Personally, for Alaska, I would always recommend an outside cabin if not a balcony. This is a personal choice, but there is something spectacular about awakening and peering out your window to see these magnificent glaciers.

Before you go, make sure to research the time of year and the destinations/ports visited carefully. There are roundtrip “inner passage” cruises, which usually are the least expensive, they are 7 days and begin and end at the same port. This sounds easy and great especially for a first timer, but understand, you will not see as much as you would if you decide to start at one port and go either southbound or north bound ending at a different port. Families tend to prefer these cruises, as they are simpler travelling wise. A typical Alaska Roundtrip cruise departs from Seattle or Vancouver and spends the first day cruising the Inside Passage. They will then visit 3 or 4 of the following places such as Juneau, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka depending upon the ship and departure.

When to Go: The cruises are going to be least expensive when it is a bit colder. Alaska will be 60-70 degrees in July & August, while it may be a bit chillier, yet less expensive in May & September where it will be in the 50’s and 60’s. A perfect example of a great deal in the chillier months, is one we found for $699, 7nights which includes a cabin with a window. This particular departure is in May.

Specialty Cruises: If you are interested in good food and wine during your Alaska adventure, we found a Culinary and Wine cruise at the height of the season (July 27), which is still available. This cruise starts at $1475, but it includes 2 culinary sessions, special wine tasting, Private cocktail parties and special dining, etc. This is a roundtrip cruise from Seattle.

When booking these cruises, it is easy to only look at price, however, it is important to research the ports and see what is included in the rates quoted – are there port taxes included? Is there onboard credit? What are the extras?

Another company known to have some of the best deals in the business for Alaska: My Cruise Getaway sometimes offers up to 75% Off Alaska Cruises.

To view all of the top cruise deals of the week, go to DunhillVacations.com

Source: Dunhill Vacation News

Ways To See Alaska By Ferry

The Alaska Marine Highway is without mistrust the most exclusive highway in the world. Its scenery is indeed mesmerizing.

How many other highways can you guide along, and see, regularly at the same instant, snowcapped mountain peaks, ice-age glaciers, hillsides blanketed with dapper and hemlock, soothing fjords, beaches and streams?

Where moreover could you see otters feeding on kelp beds, fur seals, killer whales breaching almost within tetchy detach, sea birds and blunt eagles balanced on their nests gazing into the distance?

The Alaska Marine Highway System has ferried cars and passengers to some 32 communities in Alaska, British Columbia and the pomp of Washington for nigh on 50 time. The 11 ferries are a support for the remote fishing and logging communities along the south-eastern Alaskan coast. Other broad destinations visited by many Alaska Marine Highway travelers involve Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

Nevertheless the course is more than that. It is a cheaper alternative to the classy cruises in these waters. The liner benefited gives passengers bigger rough than they would have on a cruise ship. The Matanuska carries 499 passengers, and provides 4 four-land, 21 three-land, and 80 two-land cabins. The cabins may not be as grand as a cruise liner’s, but it’s a lot cheaper, while meals are addition.

The transmit car deck holds about 88 vehicles (these figures fluctuate from ship to pass). Drivers can mean their own journey and link with other ferries to explore off the beaten stalk. Take your car to Skagway, Alaska, for example, and instinct home via the Alaska Highway.

So come aboard the “Matanuska,” named for an Alaskan glacier, at Bellingham, Washington State, about 80 kilometers south of Vancouver, British Columbia, for the eight-day arrival stumble along the Inside Passage, stretching 1,700 kilometers and wending its way along the coast through more than 1,000 islands.

The first sail of discovery is the transmit itself: a brew relax, a gift shop, an eatery, and a huge farther observation laze.

The superior decked has a glassed solarium and a laze with reclining seats used by travelers who don’t want to fritter their money on a lodge, or by those burden a little hop. The airline-technique chairs are comfortable enough for a night’s doze. And there showers in the washrooms. (Public showers are presented on all vessels except the Lituya, Chenega and Fairweather.) In summer, campers even pitch their tents on the superior deck.

The Matanuska does not have dining space advantage but the self-rite program in the cafeteria moves swiftly (the M/Vs Columbia and Tustumena have inclusive-tune dining rooms). The menu is vast and reasonably priced; portions are also large (for bulk, try the omelettes for breakfast). There are at slightest three core dishes every lunch and banquet, regularly the freshest of locally immovable salmon, halibut or red snapper, as well as unmarked salads, sandwiches, soup and fleeting-food commands such as burgers and French fries.

We’re at sea for 36 hours before poignant on the first haven of call – Ketchikan, Alaska’s southernmost city. It is strung out for kilometers along a waterfront, most of it supported on pilings above Tongass Narrows. The annoy streets are regularly easily stilted steps climbing the steep hillside.

If the ferries are operation a bit dead, you might not have more than an hour or two ar each block. Keep this in mentality. The transport does not interval on slowpoke passengers.

Ketchikan tourist sights embrace amazing shopping, Dolly’s house on Creek road, the home and running place of the civic’s last “madam” and a museum. Along the waterfront are seaplanes and boats serving the logging camps and other settlements.

Most of Sunday is depleted at sea relaxing and sightseeing – regularly with calls from the bridge to alert you to the occasional killer whale or other sights.

The next prevent is Wrangell, the only unity to have the signpost of three nations snatched over it. Wrangell began as the ramparts built by the Russians in 1834, was leased six living later to the British Hudson’s Bay Company, and finally bought by the US in 1867. Gold miners headed from there for the Klondike and Cassiars. One stopover meaning making is at the beach to see the petroglyphs stamped by prehistoric Indians.

Later the ship stops at Petersburg, home of the foremost halibut fleet in Alaska and proud of its Scandinavian heritage. Early next day it’s Juneau, assets of Alaska – and you can see the Mendenhall glacier as the pass approaches the incurable.

The computer is 22 kilometers north of Juneau, but there is a good minibus and taxi service to city, a bustling community long before gold was discovered in 1881. A walking tour will take you elapsed many historic sites; you can stockpile up on gold nuggets and fossilized walrus tusk bracelets. The world’s largest concentration of bronzed convey lives on Admiralty Island, located just 10 minutes from Juneau.

Later in the morning the ship heads to Haines, originally a trading post. From here, it’s only an hour to Skagway which, wonderfully preserved and restored, today still resembles the gold-gust town it was at the stroll of the century – the main gateway to the Klondike, 800 kilometers to the north.

From Skagway, the ferryboat retraces its route to Haines and Juneau, then detours to Sitka, once the Russian assets of Alaska. Mount Edgecombe, an extinct volcano, towers in the background. The Russian swayed can be seen everywhere in Sitka: Visit the onion-vaulted St. Michael’s Cathedral, for case, a slight example of rural Russian cathedral architecture.

Many of the Alaska Marines Highway’s ferries have theater areas that show films of general pastime and documentaries on Alaska and the outside and regularly provide special educational and entertainment programs. As though there isn’t enough to see and do on the way.

Seeing Alaska by Ferry – the Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway is without doubt the most unique highway in the world. Its scenery is certainly mesmerizing.

How many other highways can you drive along and see, often at the same moment, snowcapped mountain peaks, ice-age glaciers, hillsides blanketed with spruce and hemlock, tranquil fjords, beaches and streams?

Where else could you see otters feeding on kelp beds, fur seals, killer whales breaching almost within touching distance, sea birds and bald eagles perched on their nests gazing into the distance?

The Alaska Marine Highway System has ferried cars and passengers to some 32 communities in Alaska, British Columbia and the state of Washington for nigh on 50 years. The 11 ferries are a lifeline for the isolated fishing and logging communities along the south-eastern Alaskan shoreline. Other popular destinations visited by many Alaska Marine Highway travelers include Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

But the route is more than that. It is a cheaper alternative to the expensive cruises in these waters. The ferry service gives passengers greater freedom than they would have on a cruise ship. The Matanuska carries 499 passengers, and provides 4 four-berth, 21 three-berth, and 80 two-berth cabins. The cabins may not be as luxurious as a cruise liner’s, but it’s a lot cheaper, although meals are extra.

The ferry car deck holds about 88 vehicles (these numbers vary from ferry to ferry). Drivers can plan their own itinerary and connect with other ferries to explore off the beaten track. Take your car to Skagway, Alaska, for example, and drive home via the Alaska Highway.

So come aboard the “Matanuska”, named for an Alaskan glacier, at Bellingham, Washington State, about 80 kilometers south of Vancouver, British Columbia, for the eight-day return trip along the Inside Passage, stretching 1,700 kilometers and wending its way along the coast through more than 1,000 islands.

The first voyage of discovery is the ferry itself: a cocktail lounge, a gift shop, a cafeteria, and a huge forward observation lounge.

The upper deck has a glassed solarium and a lounge with reclining seats used by travelers who don’t want to spend their money on a cabin, or by those doing a short hop. The airline-style chairs are comfortable enough for a night’s sleep. and there are showers in the washrooms. (Public showers are available on all vessels except the Lituya, Chenega and Fairweather.) In summer, campers even pitch their tents on the upper deck.

The Matanuska does not have dining room service but the self-service lineup in the cafeteria moves quickly (the M/Vs Columbia and Tustumena have full-service dining rooms). The menu is vast and reasonably priced; portions are also large (for size, try the omelettes for breakfast). There are at least three main dishes every lunch and dinner, often the freshest of locally caught salmon, halibut or red snapper, as well as fresh salads, sandwiches, soup and fast-food orders such as burgers and French fries.

We’re at sea for 36 hours before touching on the first port of call – Ketchikan, Alaska’s southernmost city. It is strung out for kilometers along a waterfront, most of it supported on pilings above Tongass Narrows. The cross streets are often simply wooden steps climbing the steep hillside.

If the ferries are running a bit late, you might not have more than an hour or two ar each stop. Keep this in mind. The ferry does not wait on slowpoke passengers.

Ketchikan tourist sights include wonderful shopping, Dolly’s house on Creek street, the home and working place of the town’s last “madam” and a museum. Along the waterfront are seaplanes and boats serving the logging camps and other settlements.

Most of Sunday is spent at sea relaxing and sightseeing – often with calls from the bridge to alert you to the occasional killer whale or other sights.

The next stop is Wrangell, the only community to have the flag of three nations flying over it. Wrangell began as a stockade built by the Russians in 1834, was leased six years later to the British Hudson’s Bay Company, and finally bought by the US in 1867. Gold miners headed from there for the Klondike and Cassiars. One stop worth making is at the beach to see the petroglyphs carved by prehistoric Indians.

Later the ferry stops at Petersburg, home of the largest halibut fleet in Alaska and proud of its Scandinavian heritage. Early next day it’s Juneau, capital of Alaska – and you can see the Mendenhall glacier as the ferry approaches the terminal.

The terminal is 22 kilometers north of Juneau, but there is a good minibus and taxi service to town, a bustling community long before gold was discovered in 1881. A walking tour will take you past many historic sites; you can stock up on gold nuggets and fossilized walrus tusk jewelry. The world’s largest concentration of brown bear lives on Admiralty Island, located just 10 minutes from Juneau.

Later in the morning the ferry heads to Haines, originally a trading post. From here, it’s only an hour to Skagway which, wonderfully preserved and restored, today still resembles the gold-rush town it was at the turn of the century – the main gateway to the Klondike, 800 kilometers to the north.

From Skagway, the ferry retraces its route to Haines and Juneau, then detours to Sitka, once the Russian capital of Alaska. Mount Edgecombe, an extinct volcano, towers in the background. The Russian influence can be seen everywhere in Sitka: Visit the onion-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral, for instance, a fine example of rural Russian church architecture.

Many of the Alaska Marine Highway’s ferries have theater areas that show films of general interest and documentaries on Alaska and the outdoors and often provide special educational and entertainment programs.

As though there isn’t enough to see and do on the way.

My Life Story… in a Nut Shell

My life story… in a nut shell
Prior to my birth:
My mom jumped a 2-story building to kill herself while pregnant of me, she did not succeed.

My mother’s murder:
I was not quite 3 years old yet when my mother’s life was taken. I remember thinking my mother died in a car accident because my step grandmother would tell me that what happened to her was an accident. I asked many times about how my mother died and I never got lots of information about it as a child. I later on was very scared to learn how to drive and I’m guessing that might be due to the old belief that my mom died in a car accident. I got my drivers’ liscence at 27.

3 sisters are separated:
Sometime after mom’s death, us 3 girls were separated between the 2 sets of grand parents. I was raised with my father’s parents who consisted of his dad, mother in law and half brother Pasca. My real father’s mom died in his teenage years, she was a Concert Pianist.
My other 2 (older) sisters were taken by my mom’s parents whom the mother was an alcoholic and I later on learned that her real father had died and had been an artist who would hit my mother with empty beer bottles as a child. Again, those are bits and pieces of stories from different parts of my family members at different times of my life.

Grade 1 success:
My grand mother helped me a lot at succeeding in my homeworks and I became head of the class which at the end of the grade got me an invitation to attend a music primary school named :Ecole Le Plateau.
By that young age I was also a talented drawer, I would excell in school drawings.
Somewhere around that age I met my dad. I don’t remember much except that I sat on his lap and he was very intimidating looking with his dark hair, eyes and beard. But he was friendly and he wanted a kiss good bye and my shyness took over and I ran away and hid in the house. From that day I was always very shy with my dad, would never hug him or let myself be hugged or kissed by him and I would never say I love you.
Later on I learned from him that his parents wanted to keep me and asked him to go along with the story that he was my uncle…I don’t remember any of that.

Grade 2 new school:
New environment and new kids were very difficult on me. My grades went lower right away and I got picked for being so skinny.

Grade 4 I chose piano:
For grade 4 I had to choose what instrument I wanted to learn, and I knew I was meant to be a pianist like my real Grand-mother : Gemma Carreri. The 2 grade prior to grade 4 was manditory violin and recorder flute. I quit the violin as I got blisters on my fingers but I kept up the recorder flute.

Auditioning for high school:
Grade 6 was over, and I really wanted to continue my piano so I worked hard to get into this Royal conservatory high school and was ecstatic when I got accepted after auditioning.
How I get the years jumbled when it comes to my neighbor Franco whom my grand-mother thought highly of. He was a few years older and real big compared to skinny me and started touching me sexually on occasions. I was an extremely shy and withdrawn person and I didn’t push him away. I don’t know what I was thinking, maybe I liked the attention.

Left to live with my dad:
Grade 8 or 9, my moods were a mess, I didn’t get along with my grand mother who would call me names like hammerhead, pighead…but in french or course.
My father lived a couple of streets to my house and I would lie to my grand mother saying I was going to the park and was actually visiting my hippy Kung Fu teaching dad with a bag of stolen foods, soap and other mecessities from home.
I ended up moving with him and we packed up our little belongings and went for a long trip to visit my sister Linda who was living in Kelowna, B.C.

Met Don Thomson:
In Kelowna, my dad became friends with my sister’s ex, who was the age of our dad.
We moved into his little rented home and he had a quiet friend living there too who was an old vietnam vet. The following month my dad, I and Don the vietnam vet moved into a small house in an orchard.
Despite my poor English, Don and I became good friends going for walks and looking at wild plants. I was 14 years old.
Sometimes Don would drive me to school and once he gave me a note which I didn’t quite understand because of the language. My father read it and panicked. It was a love letter to me. Quickly plans changed, Dad and I were headed back to Quebec.

Back in Quebec:
We lived in the country and I had to attend yet another high school.
In that school I was teased for my Italian last name: Nardelli which in french is very close to Marde au lit (shit in bed).
My entire stay with my dad only lasted half a year. I couldn’t stand his cooking, smoking, pot-smoking, poor living and having to practice Kung Fu each day.
After heated arguments with him, I finally returned to my grand parents and my old music school, where I was also bullied for my unfashionable clothings.

Kelowna was calling me back:
My sister LInda came to visit us in Montreal. I was always closer to her than my eldest sister Patricia who would tell me nasty stories of our mother and how mean she was.
Patricia had it difficult and looked after her 2 younger sisters when we were all together. She’s 8 years older than me and she used to change my diapers.
Somehow I managed to convince Linda that I was ready to leave home, and my grand parents gave me away gladly as I was a roller coaster of changing moods at home.
I moved to Kelowna and lived with Linda and her new boyfriend.Although it wasn’t my plan, I started thinking about Don and missed him dearly. I managed to find him and soon I was sneaking out of the house to meet with him.
Don and I had a plan to pass the states line, we took the greyhound bus to Osoyoos and then walked a long ways. Of course the police caught us across the border. He was let go and as I was a monor I was sent to a jail to wait for my sister to pick me up (2-3 hours)
By that time, Don had convinced me that my Catholic belief was just that….a belief and he taught me about Indian ways, crystals, and new age stuff.

Sex:
I turned 16 and my sister and her boyfriend couldn’t lock me up in my room anymore, I had the right to choose where I wanted to be, and I chose Don.
We lived in a one bedroom basement suite and he started pressuring me for sex. I let him try many times and would end up in a screaming fit, he would be gentle and patient but by christmas he started getting more anxious. So I promessed him that I’d do it for the new year. I finally bared it, it was over, I was no longer a virgin.
But another problem arose, I didn’t bleed after sex and he was convinced I hadn’t been a virgin after all! I started remebering bits and pieces:
Franco got on top of me, I was pinned down and so scared I couldn’t scream. His sister Anna walked in and interrupted what was going on, I ran out and to this day I don’t know how far that sex attempt had gone.

My dog killed:
Don and I had pets from time to time, one in particular was very dear to me: Chinook.
She was a half wolf and half german sheperd dog. Don was very strict in disciplinning her and would often resort to physical violence. Chinook would eventually act as if nipping back without touching skin. Don told me the dog was dangerous and would soon bite me. He took his 22 rifle and shot her, he missed and she screamed in pain. He shot her again and I ran out crying. I found her laying in her pool of blood and hugged her. Later Don put her in a garbage bag and burried her at the farm. Whenever we came close to the burial spot I would cry and that would make Don angry.

I thought I was next:
Other smaller pets were killed for stupid reasons: peeing in the home, puking worms…. and Don seemed stranger and stranger.
I was working picking strawberries and came up with enough money for a bus ticket to my sister’s in Kelowna. I left him without notice, without confrontation with 2 boxes of belongings packed, starting life all over again.

Moving around:
I moved about every 1/2 year, renting this or that, being subsidized by welfare, trying counselling (free stuff), working here and then there.
I eventually moved with some grown men and fell in love with friendly roommate Rick.
Nothing ever came out of this, not even a kiss, but I felt he was keeping me hanging on a string by sometimes seeming so interested in me and then backing away back and forth.
I got heartbroken over this platonic relationship and got thinner and sadder.

Learned about depression:
Early 20′s now, had a smart girlfriend who told me about depression as an illness. I went to see her doctor and he sent me to a specialist who was gonna put me on Lithium. I told a few friends and only heard bad things about that drug. I ended up being prescribed Prozac and it did help.

David Hewitt:
I was working in a cafe, I met this fun loving biker guy. He was an recovering alcoholic attending NA and AA meetings. We lasted 5 months.
He was a sweet heart, but he liked sex too much and I didn’t. We ended up moving to a cabin on a hobby farm where I was stranded and lonely. I was unmedicated then.
I got myself depressed being alone, crying and screaming in pillows.
I ended up contacting a church pastor begging for help to get me moved back to Kelowna where I stayed in a woman’s shelter.

Vlastimil Piroh:
I moved eventually into a nice side suite by the beach still in Kelowna. It was beautiful there.
I started dating my neighbour who was czechoslovakian. We argued a lot quite quickly in the relationship and we soon broke up…. that’s when I met Steven Rhodes.
He hung out at my place, we were chatting on the bed, nothing sexual yet.
Vlastimil peeked in the window and flipped. He tried to hit me with a bottle of pickles.
We patched things up and had a 1 year total relationship. He’s the one that taught me ballroom and 2 step dancing at bars and I love it. He was demanding thou, I had to be a perfect housewife, never denying him….So the arguments were endless.
He was going to bring me to Czech Republic to meet his family, I was even learning his language. He decided he was ashamed of me because I wasn’t dressed perfectly, I slammed kitchen doors,…stupid little things. He went to Europe without me.
He came back a month later and proposed to me with a beautiful ring, I agreed.
Within the next month he slapped my face twice, I ran away from that relationship too!

Steven Rhodes:
I met back with Steven and jumped yet in another relationship. He did a B&E and went to jail. I agreed to house arrest at my basement suite which lasted only a couple of months (still moving every 1/2 year or so!).
I finished hair dressing school, getting myself more in debt.
Once I broke up with Steven, I packed my stuff and got shipped by plane to my other sister’s (Patricia) in Montreal.
I lasted a week and found my way back to my home in Kelowna by forging checks a friend had given me so I’d have enough money to get back to Steven and live ($800.00 from 2 $100 checks!)
Steven and I decided to start computer school together. Not quite half way through, we used his student loan to come to calgary, where there’s work. He never lasted long at any job, a wimp, a drunk, and I was nagging him to look some more..
I found a minimum wage job right away but we still couldn’t pay the bills. I decided to swallow my shyness and pride and got into exotic dancing. (which was my longest lasting career! 5 years).
I got pregnant, couldn’t danced after 3 months so the bar placed me in the VLT room, money was tight again.

I had Emma on my 25th birthday, C-section, she was an 8 pound baby!
We were living in a dumpy half basement suite in Calgary, I returned to dancing after Emma was 2 months old.
Steven and I had a rocky relationship, I couldn’t handle his alcoholism and I’d slap him, or kick him away…. I was becoming violent!
I broke up with him many times but always took him back. I saved for a SUV that he wanted, I didn’t have my driver’s liscence yet….. too scared of traffic.
We decided to move back to the Okanagan (Vernon) and his mom set up an apartment for us: We just had to find work to pay the bills. I did find a part time job right away but Steven would take the SUV and go to Kelowna to meet friends, to drink, to smoke pot, to be gone all night long.
My sister Linda came to my rescue again with a new boyfriend again. She helped me pack up my stuff and my daughter and we were headed to Vancouver where she had now been living for a few years.
On the way to Vancouver, her driving of course, we got into an accident and totalled the vehicle.
Everyone was ok, we found our way to Vancouver with her boyfriend. Linda was getting controlling when I was talking about finding a dancing job. That’s all I knew that paid well enough to look after me and my daughter.
Within a week I ran away with my baby back to Calgary where I stayed with a stripped friend and got back to my old job private dancing.
I received 8 grand for my totalled truck and I assumed the mortgage of a little house in Castleridge (Calgary). It was my home! Yeah!
Couple of months later I took Steven back in again plus his new loser friend Kevin.
Work was stressful because I had a bully co worker and I started getting revengeful by stealing makeup and stuff.

I broke up with steven again… and again, finding different boyfriends each time… and getting back with steven when things didn’t turn out.
At that point I met a guy in Ft McMurry named Ian Young. I was messing with my depression pills, taking less… taking more.., but never being a big drinker, never touching illegal drugs.
Ian saw the hurt in me, he was sweet, he said he’d take care of me. But he had business to do in that town and I worked in different towns each week driving in a beat up car to strip in this bar one week and then another next week all over Alberta and Northern B.C.
We had a phone relationship for a month when I couldn’t reach him anymore and found out he was killed in a car accident!
Even if I didn’t know Ian very well, that death devastated me, and I returned to the familiar: Steven.

Jon Neil:
Money was going missing, bills were late, I needed more money.
I found a roommate from the customers at the bar I worked at full time again private dancing: Jon Neil.
We became friends, he helped me see that my relationship with Steven had to end.
He helped me in the process, it was chaotic like many other times where the cops were involved. But I finally succeeded!
Jon, Emma and I were living in my house, and it probably took me about a month of flirting with Jon and getting drunk while being on anti depressants, to jump into another relationship.
Here’s how I did it:
Jon bought me a bottle of wine, I got drunk ( no wine glass needed, just chugging from the bottle!) and I finally said:
I’m tired, I’m going to bed….are you coming?
Jon was a nice guy from the start, he was respectul of women, kind, courteous… but I was still in love with the father of my beautiful blonde daughter. I struggled with this for a long time….years. I had wanted to marry Steven but that was not a wise choice.
I decided to propose to Jon instead (who was much more stable with a job and wasn’t abusing substances)
We had only been dating a couple of months when I proposed to Jon on the phone (chicken!)
I did love Jon very much but was also scared that my love for Steven would overcome it because I was determined to not go back to him. So I was in a hurry to get married, to tie myself down… Jon didn’t let me!
He made me wait a year before the actual marriage.
I made it! But the week of our wedding was an emotional wreck on my part! Poor Jon.

Quit dancing:
the dancing environment and cattiness was destroying me more and more. I was thieving more and feeling little remorse for it.
I decided to quit it all and got back into hairdressing which Jon was very glad about.
I got pregnant and I’m an even more unstable person when pregnant!
I started making enemies at work, stealing, …being mouthy…. and finally I quit.

Chandler Neil:
Had a son naturally, was so happy about that victory. 2 months passed by and post partum depression was setting in. I was getting angry easily and did my first half ass suicide attempt by taking tylenols and such. Was brought to the hospital in Calgary, was then released shortly after.
Have been prescribed serzone, paxil, forget what else, finally prozac again seemed to work the best. Other drugs made me too groggy and slow. Prozac helped me get up and get things done.

Drunken affair:
We are now living in Strathmore, am a stay at home mom trying to make part time money from teaching piano and internet businesses. We’ve been married 5 years now, together a total of 6 1/2 years. Got drunk one evening and decided to act on a crush of a local stud.. The carpet cleaner! I don’t know why I attempted again and again to contact that neighbour ( in vain). I don’t believe I’m unhappy in my marriage, my marriage with Jon has been the most level relationship in my life!
Maybe I’m craving chaos again!? maybe the same guy for so long is tiring! (longest relationship), maybe I’m just mentally ill!