Well, it's election mania here in Vancouver, too. The Canadian federal election came and went without so much as peep this month. And the civic election is coming up next month. But folks here are too enthralled with the US presidential campaigns to give much attention to their own elections. I guess Canadians are more interested in the US election because not only is it more entertaining, but who gets elected does affect their livelihood.

Obama fever is widespread here as well.

I played badminton for the first time last night! And I had a blast! Although I was a total newbie fraught with performance anxiety, I managed to get over my fears and insecurities and jumped into games with really, really good players.

The physical and mental benefits were felt immediately, and therefore, I'd like to continue playing. My allergies and now the onset of SAD have caused me to be very sluggish. But physical exercise is such a mood-lifter! And I was grateful to discover that I can still manage to be active in spite of my oppressive allergies.

I've been thinking about my Halloween costume since the summer, and it finally came together last week just in time for the Parade of Lost Souls on Commercial Drive.

On Saturday night, the Dude and I put on our coordinating costumes (I was a cougar and he was cougar bait), and we joined the revelers on The Drive. Some noteworthy costumes I saw at the event were Jesus on the cross (the guy was on stilts so he inevitably stood above the crowd), a Ghostbuster, and the stock market plunging.

The weekend was spent at a west coast swing convention - 3 days of dancing mania. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into it because of my allergies. A couple months ago I developed a new allergy to perfume and scented products on top of my other allergies. Being inside a ballroom with no windows left me pretty much miserable as I was constantly exposed to people's perfume. One of the side effects of my allergies is that it makes me very tired and sleepy so I didn't really feel like dancing much.

Medication is totally useless. Although I've made my apartment as scent-free as possible, I have reactions nonetheless to something. It's so bad right now that I just want to stay in bed. This is not good when I desperately need to spend as much time as I can looking for a job.

I got my first piece of mail at my new address today, and it came from my former fabulous church in California. Seeing the envelope with the familiar logo brought a small moment of cheer in an otherwise gray, rainy day in Vancouver.

On the topic of church: I recently visited a local Anglican parish in my neighborhood. It's very, very small (the complete opposite of All Saints' gargantuan congregation). But like All Saints, it's an inclusive church and allows everyone to participate in the Eucharist (two features that are extremely important to me). It also focuses on matters of social justice (I can't imagine being part of a church that doesn't!). I think I'll stick with this church, especially because I strongly prefer to be part of a local parish.

Finding a church and getting plugged in is a priority for me since I'm currently lacking community. I'm not here as a student as I was on previous occasions, so school is out as a source of community. And I don't have a job yet, so I'm not able to find community in the workplace either. But school and work were hardly ever significant sources of community for me. I currently have friends scattered throughout the city that I've known in former contexts, but what I really need is a community in which we're bound by some common experience or activity.

Although I've only been away from this city for a little over a year, moving back has required some readjusting. It's funny how easily I become a creature of habit and when I find myself in a new setting, although a very familiar one, I struggle to acclimate nevertheless.

This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving. I ate a lot.

I'm now in my new, wonderful apartment, and as I settle in I can't help but be amazed that I ended up in a living situation way better than I foresaw. This will be my first time living all by myself for more than a month, and hopefully for many more months to come.

Now I have to work hard to find a job so I can afford to live here indefinitely. I was pleased to discover the other day that the Canadian government has made it even easier for employers to hire temporary foreign workers in B.C. However, the problem is that most businesses do not seem to be cognizant of this new labor law.

Circumstances seem to indicate that I've made this move at the right time. Yet, I can't help but worry that I may not find a job. I suppose it's situations like this that present the opportunity to exercise my faith.

I haven't been doing much dancing as I was hoping to do once I arrived mainly because I've been feeling under the weather and my favorite dance partner, the Dude, has been battling a tenacious cold.

My allergies have gotten so bad lately that I sometimes can't go about doing normal, everyday activities. Living with physical discomfort on a daily basis has been very frustrating and discouraging, especially because I do my best to lead a healthy life, yet for some unknown reason my body is a wreck. And I wonder, how could my health be in such a decrepit state when I'm only still in my 20's?

Oh, in regards to the vegan lasagna that I cooked in the crockpot: it overcooked. But it tasted very much like the real thing, and overall, I'm happy I can eat lasagna again. Next time I'll only leave it in the crockpot for 4 hours, rather than 8.