Canada Calling

Hi all,

As it's been a good four days now, I thought I'd get you up to speed on the goings on thousands of miles away. Let me tell you, it's not easy being a 30-year-old in a hostel populated with such young, innocent and w*nky student types. I'd forgotten how desperate the young are to prove themselves and often find myself in needless arguments about racism, war, politics and music. Not because I give that much of a s*it about what they're saying, I just can't let them think their opinions are anything other than worthless - a lot like their lives. It's like an episode of Grange Hill here and I feel like Mr f*cking Bronson. And the amount of UKers who've been here for 6 months and have now got a Canadian accent is unbelievable. Every time I hear one talk it makes my testes shrivel higher up into my chest cavity. This is the way it was for the first couple of days, and I was really starting to worry, but thankfully I've found a couple of Aussies who are good company now and understand the crisis I had previously been in. We went to Niagara Falls yesterday, which was all-at-once the most incredible, but most disappointing experience. The falls themselves were amazing, humbling, magnificent - all that b*llocks - but the town that's been built up surrounding the area is quite the most plastic place I've ever seen. Needless to say I've taken photographic proof of this horror and will show you all soon enough - just have patience.

Tomorrow I'm embarking on a 2-week tour of Canada - taking in Quebec, Montreal amongst others and will involve whale watching, white water rafting, hiking and bungee jumps, to name but a few. I thought I should really get that kind of thing out of the way sooner rather than later so that I can then concentrate on being a responsible citizen and getting a job. Something I'm not really looking forward to that much - believe it or not, not working is a blast! Not sure I'll do this in Toronto though, as so far it just all seems a bit American here and pretty expensive - relatively speaking for Canada, of course. I expected the local establishments to bow down in view of my mighty pound, but I haven't had that yet.

Hope you are all well and the counselling sessions are aiding this transitional period just after I've left. Soon I will send some pics of me which should be of some small comfort at this difficult time.

I am, and always will be, your friend,

Andrew