Some updated tidbits from my commings and goings

I recently moved from Kamloops (interior of British Columbia) back to the Greater Vancouver area where my husband's family resides.

I was not happy about this one bit. But without going into details my husband and I both felt we had to. I am now looking for work as an Occupational Therapist. The job hunting has been tiring but so far ok. There are four health authorities between North Vancouver and our border with the US. Providence Health, Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and First Nations Health. Oh and theres also Vancouver Island Health across the water whom Ive posted a few resumes to. Theres also a huge private health industry here in the Vancouver area but personally they all ask for experience in the public health sector  and/or with experience with case management first and I'm still just a baby OT, so I don't quite yet want to stick my foot in that water (though I'd like to have a go in the future). Ive already had two job interviews and am patiently waiting back to hear from my latest one. Ive also got two other places on my radar that Im keeping my eye and ear on. Fingers cross eh?

I'll admit the break is lovely. Ive had a number of sleep in's. Im back to reading multiple books on the go (which I'll note below). Having this break has allowed me time to do some important things I just not have had energy for, namely, getting my full Canadian drivers license and updating my New Zealand passport and getting some leisurely time to do some exercise. The hubby and I have been living with his parents which has been interesting but Im now getting very very desperate to have our own place again. As most may know of me, Im a huge homebody. Most times I feel very cut into two about my identitty: on one hand theres the persevering academic career woman who loves her work, loves study, loves new info, new research, new chances to network and new ways of doing things. Im easily bored if I am not testing my knowledge and practical skill. One of my faveorite programs is 'The Good Wife' and as much as I like the character Alicia Florrick, the woman I love to watch the most is Diane Lockhart played by Christine Baranski (who also incidently plays the hilariously funny but Spock'ish Mom of Leonard on 'The Big Bang Theory'). Then there's the complete opposite: the idealistic housewife traditionalist who loves 1950s living, cross stitching next to the fire while her husband reads the bible out aloud (yes we actually do that). On that side of my life I like to think I very much model after Michelle Dugger except for the 19 kids, ghastly permed hair and that I have a much shorter temper than her.  

Diane Lockhart: Classy,  highly intellectual and passionate with a dash of ruthless

Michelle Dugger: Very Motherly, patient, multi tasker extraordinare

Actually now that I think about it, I think a lot of women may feel like me about this tug of war between two types of women. I think thats why we're all exhausted. And quite frankly I don't think we're capable of being 100% of the two and reaping the rewards of both. And its near impossible to have a perfectly equal 50/50 on this. There have been seasons in my life where Im about 80% Diane, 20% Michelle (namely college). When I first got married it switched. When we moved to Canada and then eventually moved to Kamloops for my first job, thats when it got tough. Practice practice practice I suppose... 

So anyway, we're back in Vancouver and besides job hunting theres already a few things on my mind Im looking into:

• Learning a new language (deciding between Mandarin or American Sign Language) Both could be extremely helpful in my work.
• Our next road trip/holiday to Redwood National Park in California (FYI tallest trees in the world!) Hopefully to occur sometime in the Summer.
• Completing the Grouse Grind this year. But first I have to be able to walk up the hills in Port Moody without passing out..
• Learning to cook more Chinese/Japanese food. I state this because Im trying to lose weight, I love their flavours and I note Eastern diets are very high in fish and vegetables and they eat their rice out of tiny bowls. Anyone seen an overweight Asian? They're rare and there's a good reason for that.

So anyway, earlier I said I was reading some new books, heres my current list I'm reading

• 'Lectures to my students' (complete and unabridged) by Charles H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon was a great preacher/pastor of the 1800s and this book is pretty much a volume of transcripts of his enormously long lectures to his seminary students. From reading this guy Ive become a huge fan.
• 'Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy' by Eric Metaxas. Bonhoeffer was a German Pastor who very bravely stood up to the Nazi regime as a whole and their influence on the Church. Unlike a lot of German's he saw through the subtle lies that the Nazi propaganda machine put out in the early 30s as their foundation for war and genocide and was villanized and eventually murdered on the orders of Hitler himself three weeks before the war was over. An amazing man.
• 'How to win friends and influence people in the digital age' by Dale Carnegie & Associates. This is a modernized version of his previously well known book of the same name. I started reading this book at the recommendation of a friend of mine to help my job searching/networking goals. The title sounds pithy and lame but the content is excellent and helpful.
• 'The skinny rules' by Bob Harper. Appalling title for sure. Bob Harper is a personal trainer off the American 'Biggest Loser' series. I don't watch the show as I have a particular distaste of the tv network emphasizing and encouraging the all too familiar scene of reality show back stabbing and gossiping, not to mention I hate that they force the women to parade in sports bra's during the weigh ins. However that said I heard about this guys "rules" I read up on them and they made some logical sense and I appreciate that unlike a lot of others he never enforces one to cut out an entire food group (except junk food). If your curious about what they are heres a link. I think being no carb for dinner has been the hardest for me but Ive been doing it for about a week now and Ive added hill walking to my day so see how we go..

I recently bought some secondhand books in wonderful quality that I plan to read in the future:

 
I love reading history and as much as I think I know WW2 history back to front reading Bonhoeffer makes me want read it again so I bought this book 'The Second World War' and 'The Victorians' because I want to understand more of the context that Spurgeon was in. Reading the Victorians is a really good lead up because really to understand WW2 you need to understand WW1 and to understand WW1 you have to start with Queen Victoria and the Industrial Revolution. 

Anyway, thats all from me! I'll let you know over time how the new eating and exercise goes.