Cowboy Dance

There was this Cowboy street dance and music from 10:00 to 12:00 in 8th Street everyday during Stampede and today was the last day of it. We got the chance to see and try it! I tried it 2 times with a bunch of guys and gals and F. F. did it 4 times. It was interesting. I completely screwed up the first one but the second one was easier and I enjoyed it. I guess if I had the chance to try it every day I would have been much better today. This dance is a bit hard because it needs coordination. It's a team dance. I have never been a dancer and don't know any dance but it's different when someone willingly helps you and tells you what to do and those guys and gals, all volunteers, all of them were very nice and hospitable. We will go next year if we're still in Calgary.

Line of Stupidity!

Could you call this line anything rather addiction or stupidity!? I mean I used to get Tim Horton's coffee myself but never stood in a line like an idiot! Now I don't even remember when was the last time I had a Tim Horton's coffee! May be in B. C.!

This is right that it's said that one of the few things which has no boundary to it is stupidity. Again I understand when you're accustomed to a taste it's hard to replace it with something else but is it worth wasting time in a line!!

(People line up at this Tim Horton's and many others to get their coffee and some other things for their breakfast in different location across Canada. Once police had to intervene and warn a Tim Horton's because of the traffic it's Drive Thru had cause in one Atlantic province city. The photo might not big enough but you can see that the line has spread outside the store!)

Disappointing Stampede 2011

Looks like that the quality of everything in Canada is going down while the prices are going up. We went to Calgary Stampede today and it was a total disappointment. We were at the gate at 08:55 AM so could get in without paying the admission and walked around a bit until realized that there was a huge line. That was there we realized that we were not cheap! There were those cheap bastards who were standing in the line for breakfast and then got a stamp on their arm and left!

Then we were looking for a breakfast we didn't mind paying and after almost 20 min. I found the place and there was another line and I hate lines so we went and got too cups of horrible coffee for $3 each and had them with our breakfast sandwiches that F. F. had made. Then looking for something interesting to watch we went to the Saddledome and watched the Huge Horse Show for about an hour and 20 min. and that was about average. Coming out of the show we decided to try some food and got two Corn Dogs for $7 each which were the most tasteless food I have ever that to the moment!

After that we had a look at agricultural exhibition including animals and plan which nothing very special was happening and some Cattle Penning.

The Indian Village was our final destination and that was the worst First Nation performance dance that I have ever seen! The microphone was cutting off every 2 minutes and the singers and drummers were not strong enough. They did not have many good dancers. The Hoop Dancers were horrible. They were two small girl probably 8 and 6 and not even in Aboriginal attire and danced like two kids how were practicing their last lessons! We left before the show ended. A Roast Beef sandwich was our other meal and although the guy charged us enough (you can imagine how much comparing with the other garbage we had!) I must say that was the worst Roast Beef sandwich I ever had. They had not even added some salt and seasoning to the damn meat!

We toured the games and eventually decided not to stay for the firework. We got the stamps on our hands but did not go back. A heavy rain started just about half and an hour after our arrival at home. I heard the fireworks at about 11:00 PM and it was pretty load but F. F. was sleep. We were so exhausted to go back. We might go and pick the same place we picked for Canada Day to watch that. I hope we won't go home disappointed like today!

Hail Storm

To confirm what I posted yesterday, I'm putting a photo of a vehicle that we found a few weeks ago in a supermarket's parking lot.

(Photo: Signs of hail storm in Alberta on this vehicle's hood seen easily)

Snow in Summer

Calgary has probably the ugliest weather among all the major cities in Northern America, if not the entire world! Some people don't even consider it a major city. It has just reached 1,000,000 recently and practically has nothing important but a few temporary jobs!

If you have walked around or driven in Calgary streets in the past few days you probably have noticed the white small snow flake-like stuff which are floating in the air. You look at the lawn and curbs it looks like snow is sitting on the ground.

In fact it snowed once I remember it was either June or July back in 2003. I was asleep and the telephone rang. I picked up and it was Z. B. my classmate asking me to look out of the window. I looked and it was snowing!

The thing is Calgary has been very warm lately but at the same time we had strong winds, rain, shower, you name it! One has to have a very strong neurotic system to live in Calgary and not get mad over the stupid weather of it!

(Photo: feather-snow flake-like stuff covered lawns, sidewalk and everywhere that they could)

Canada Day 2011

We went to see fireworks last night it was not what we expected. First off we went to the hills at the east side of Downtown which has the view to the whole area and there was crowed but when it started we realized that was not the best viewing spot. I had red in the website that the firework would be beside the municipal building but was not sure which one because the City has a few. The reason we went there was that the last time I witnessed fireworks in Calgary it was on Stampede grounds and I went to the cemetery(!) adjacent to the place and despite the bites I got from the mosquitoes(!) I got a few good shots.

Then the fireworks was not as big as what we had seen in White Rock and Vancouver and not even as close as what we had seen in Bellingham for the Independence Day, again from White Rock. Not to mention that the time I had those photos it was bigger and better.

One reason could be that the City is on a short budget. We did not have the chance to check on everything else in the morning as The Lady had to work.