Hoya hoya: Looking at life anew

Moving out, moving in

2008-05-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, after 2 1/2 years of moving back to Canada, I've finally moved out of the family home and into a place of my own. It was a long time to be at home - much longer than expected - but I felt I had to finish school and pay my parents back before I could justify moving out.

Moving out was hard, and not for logistical reasons. My parents were not at all happy with my decision - likely they felt hurt that I chose not to live with them. I think it was the hardest for my dad, who kept pouting and trying to come up with excuses to keep me at home. His latest is that it is more environmentally sound if I stay at home - smart guy, he's appealing to issues that I care about! It was hard to leave them, and I do feel guilty - but I am happier and feel much more free.

I am pretty much moved in now. Just yesterday I had my piano moved, which turned out to be a harrowing experience. FYI, do not pick the cheapest mover when moving a piano, especially when there is no elevator in your apartment building! There were three guys: one young guy who was very inexperienced, an older guy who wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and the driver, who - thank god! - knew his stuff, but was just a little string bean of a man. I was a little worried when the driver started instructing the other two - shouldn't they already know how to do this? His impatient tone and sighs of exasperation were not instilling any confidence in me! It was obvious that he was the only who had done this before.

As they were pulling and pushing my poor piano up the first flight of stairs, it occurred to me that these movers - a kid, a guy who is a bit soft in the head, and one skinny guy - might not be able to move it up. I was terrified that the piano was going to slide down the stairs and kill one of them. Luckily, one of the building residents, Dave from #7, stopped to watch and ended up helping them. With every heave, I held my breath and braced for the worst! And then, at the very top of the second flight of stairs, Dave pulled at a slight angle, and the piano started to tip towards the banister! I had the horrifying vision of it falling over the edge, destroying everything in its path, smashing into the ground, creating a huge gaping hole, and breaking into a huge pile of wood, strings, and piano guts. Thankfully, they were able to straighten it and they moved it without any incident into the apartment. I was really shaken up and had to sit down after that! Why oh why did I not choose the violin as my instrument?

Spring cleaning

2008-04-05T19:59:00.001-07:00

It is now cherry blossom season in Japan, and here in Victoria. I've always loved seeing all the trees full of pink and white blossoms, the streets covered in petals and the air full of their fragrance. When I was a little girl, I used to be so sad that they would live for only a couple of weeks. It seemed such a shame that something so beautiful could be gone so quickly. Then again, if the flowers were to last forever, I'm sure we would not appreciate them so much. I am sure that is one of the reasons why the cherry blossom is so cherished in Japan.

This trip was different than all of the others. I certainly couldn't call it "travelling" as I was not there to see sights - it was more of a "homecoming." Still, the act of getting on a plane and going somewhere always reminds me how much I miss travelling and how much it means to me. I know I've been extremely fortunate to have gone to so many places. I have travelled to more places than most people dream of. I really have had a charmed existence. At one point, I thought that I've travelled enough, and if I were never to go to another country again, I would be content with what I've done. Yet, there is a big part of me that thinks that travelling is so important for personal growth - and without it, I'd stagnate.

I think I'm ready for another big trip - 4-8 weeks backpacking somewhere. Of course, in my current job, this is not possible. I have two weeks holiday, which goes up to three after next year, I think. Two weeks is just not enough time. Even on this trip to Japan - a country where I've lived and am familiar with - I felt that the time was too short.

Before I started this job, my intent was to work or volunteer abroad. Now I'm staying even longer than I had intended - my contract is until March 31, 2009. I love my job - it is fulfilling and challenging, and I work with amazing people, both colleagues and clients. But...I am uncomfortable with the commitment sometimes. I don't really feel as if I am ready to settle yet - settle into that job, into Victoria, into this life. I feel I still have other things to accomplish. At 32, I feel that time is running out. One day, I may have my own family, my parents to take care of, etc. At this point in time, I am free. So, I should take advantage of it.

I've started thinking about becoming a school teacher. For those who have known me all my life, I'm sure you're not surprised! Teaching has been a lifelong passion of mine and pretty much all of my jobs have been related to education. My parents have been suggested becoming a school teacher ever since I came back from Japan. However, I've never really given it any serious thought until this trip and realizing that you get 2 months of holiday in the summer plus winter and spring break! Of course, holiday time is not the only reason I would consider this career change, but it definitely plays a role! Plus I could work in other countries or volunteer as a teacher during summer holidays.

I haven't made any concrete decisions yet. Obviously I will need to consider all the factors, like the job market in BC, how easy it would be to get a work visa in a different country, what the job is like, where to study, etc. Luckily I have a lot of friends who happen to be teachers, so I'll be asking for advice. And I have to consider that I'll have to go back to school. (Only a year and a half off and I'm back already!) I've missed the application deadline for the September start, and I have to do some upgrading anyhow. Seems odd that I am thinking of a career change to feed my travel bug...but a rewarding career is important to me and this is the best one I can think of that will give me job satisfaction as well as time and money to travel. Plus, if I ever have kids, we'll have holidays together!

Spring is time for new beginnings and clearing out the cobwebs!

Natsukashii

2008-03-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

Goodbyes - that word is an oxymoron to me. I have never been good at them, nor do I think that they are particularly good!

When I left Japan for two and a half years ago, I was one stressed out, emotional mess. I was so busy with packing, cleaning, and getting ready for my trip and moving back that I had no time to properly say goodbye to anyone. My head was full of my upcoming trip to India, the dread of going back to grad school, anxiety about my uncertain future, and sadness about leaving. My last day was spent frantically running around, closing my bank account and settling things with my landlady. I said a quick　goodbye to my teachers, rushed through a last lunch at my favourite udon place, and before I knew it, I was hugging Mr. Oe and Hatsumi goodbye at the train station and then I was gone, speeding away from my life and towards the unknown. As I looked at Lake Biwa for the last time, I promised myself that I'd come back.

Now that I've finished school and am working, I have finally had chance to visit again. Sure, I could have gone somewhere new, but it was really important to me that I see everyone who has been so kind to me for the three years that I was in Japan. I was a little nervous and apprehensive - what if everything has changed and I am disappointed? Will things be the way I remember? Will I find that I have nothing in common anymore with my friends and colleagues? (And how am I going to communicate with my dismal Japanese?!) Is it true that you can't go back?

When I arrived at Kansai airport, it really felt like I was going home in a way. (I think I have been to that airport more times than the Vancouver one, what with all the travelling I did!)　Surprisingly, I ran into one of my former students on the train. She is now 21 - when I first taught her, she was 15! She was a first-year student when I just started, so I was her teacher for almost her entire high school years, and watched her graduate. She was one of the "punk" kids and we had fun reminiscing - with my broken Japanese! - about how we used to share music and run into each other when snowboarding. She took out her mobile and showed me pictures of some of her former classmates and updated me on everyone. It is amazing how they are so grown up. A few are already moms - early pregnancies seems to happen in the countryside - others are in university or working.

I went back to Takashima high school yesterday and I felt a bit like a ghost coming back to haunt the place! Everyone was really surprised to see me and it was really fun to catch up. I was kind of surprised to see that not much has changed - some teachers are married or have had kids - but mostly things seem about the same. Unfortunately I just missed graduation, so none of my former students are there anymore. I do miss them, and when I see the new ones in the hall and see all their energy and potential, it really makes me miss teaching.

The town itself also hasn't changed much. A few shops and restaurants have closed, and a few new ones have opened, but mostly things are the same. Seems like people remember me - I went to my favourite tofu restaurant and the owners were surprised to see me and gave us a huge block of their handmade tofu to go along with my meal! Good thing my friend has a tofu-loving baby - don't think I could put that in a doggy bag!

So far, I have really enjoyed coming back and seeing everyone. I haven't felt disappointed or weird at all. I am touched by everyone's warm welcome and I really feel that I am so lucky to have met such amazing people.

As I was taking the train yesterday, looking at the monkeys in the rice field, green leafy mountains and the sun sparkling off the lake, I briefly thought about moving back. I could probably find a teaching gig in Kyoto, and I would have the opportunity to travel again. But then I think about my friends and family and career at home, and I know that I wouldn't truly be fulfilled. It is a bit of a dream world living in Japan as a foreigner, and unless I find really rewarding, meaningful work, I can't see myself staying here long-term. Visiting is really wonderful and I will stay in touch with all my friends, but my life here is finished. You really can't go back.

Adventures in the forest

2008-02-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

Sunset at East Sooke Park

A couple of weekends ago, the weather was beautiful and sunny - perfect for a hike. Linh and Stewart called me up to go for a hike at East Sooke Park with their friends, and I accepted without any hesitation. Nice weekends in February are a rare thing in Victoria!

Thinking it was just a 10km hike, I figured it would take about 2-3 hours. After all, I can run 10k in less than an hour, so it shouldn't take that long, right? So I packed light - one apple, some chocolate to share with everyone, and one water bottle. As it was so nice out, I just wore two-long sleeved shirts and jeans.

The hike, the Coast Trail, is absolutely beautiful - hiking in and out of the forest, you get stunning views of the ocean, cliffs, mountains, and little islands. The views were breathtaking. Physically, it was quite demanding; we were constantly climbing up and down and jumping over little creeks. I don't think there was a flat bit during the entire hike. It was all good though - excellent company and great food. Lucky for me, everyone else was much more prepared - we had fresh carrot juice, cheese, bread, chocolate, fruit, and even wine! It is amazing how good food tastes after exercise and some fresh air. Too bad you can't bake that into a baguette. Taking time to admire the views and eat, the first part of the hike was very enjoyable.

But then we looked at the map and I started to worry. We had hardly done any of it after a few hours! Hiking up and down steep paths obviously took a lot longer than we had anticipated. Then Stewart revealed that the website had warned that the hike was "challenging" and that it would take 6-8 hours! Considering that we started at NOON, time was getting to be a concern...

We made some good time after that, but the sun was starting to set and we were still quite far off. As it started getting dark, everyone started to get a little nervous - it became harder to see the trail markers. Considering that we were sometimes very near the ocean and the paths were very narrow, we also started being a lot more cautious. Every sound in the forest became creepy or scary. All I could think of was "The Blairwitch Project!" Thank god it was a clear full moon and Sabine and Jorge had headlamps.

After about two hours of hiking in the dark, we finally made it to the parking lot, shivering and tired. However, that was not the end of the saga, as we were locked in the park! The gate was closed and we got a note on the car saying that we had to hike 4km to the nearest payphone and call the RCMP! We walked a ways until we found a house that didn't look too intimidating - and didn't have big scary dogs charging at us - and phoned the ranger. Glad we didn't make it to the payphone because apparently it is out of order! Why they don't have a phone IN the parking lot, I have no idea.

And finally, I got home TWELVE hours after I had left. I was just glad that there was an extra jacket and everyone else had enough food and water. I remember the first time I went to East Sooke Park, my friend was aghast that I had bought nothing with me, whereas I laughed at him for carrying food, water, a flashlight and a knife for a little walk in the park. Never again. From now on, I'll be well prepared when I go hiking - and I'm definitely buying a headlamp!

Tumbling into the new year

2008-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! May 2008 be a successful one full of new experiences and fun.

For me, the new year started with a bang - literally. On new year's eve, I was at a masquerade party at my friend's place. At about 3 am or so, I stumbled up to her room on the second floor of the house. The party was still going, but I was ready for a little lie-down. About an hour later, I got up to go to the washroom. It was dark, I didn't have my contacts in, and I was probably still a little drunk...and I completely forgot that I where I was. I missed the first step, and with sickening feeling in my stomach, I fell down the entire flight of hardwood stairs and crashed into the door!

Needless to say, the party stopped immediately and everyone rushed over to see what was going on. Apparently I looked completely dazed - eyes half shut and crumpled in a very awkward position. This part was really quite hazy, but I just remember feeling quite embarrassed and after a couple of minutes, I insisted on getting up. I felt a little shook up, but was able to go back to sleep.

How lucky am I! I could have been paralyzed or broken something...but I walked away from this fall with only some bad bruising, a scar on my forehead and a few bumps on the head. Later, I went to see the doctor - I had some headaches - and I most likely have a mild concussion. So I have the small inconvenience of not being allowed to exercise or drink for a week or so, but that's a very small price to pay!

This is not the first time I've had a major accident or a close call - maybe somebody up there is trying to tell me something?? Funnily enough, one of my new year's resolutions was to take myself - and life - less seriously. There is no point in obsessing and worrying about things you cannot control, change, or have. Who knows when my luck will run out or when my clumsiness will finally get the better of me? I feel like I've been given a second (or maybe fourth!) chance. Better to not be afraid and just go for it!

The up side is that my client told me that in Chile, if you begin the new year in a bad way, the next 364 days will be the complete opposite and be really good. (Maybe the rationale is that things can't get any worse?) So 2008 should be a good one!

And FYI, anytime someone falls from a height that is higher than themselves onto a hard surface and seems a little dazed or loses consciousness, they should see a doctor - they probably have a concussion. And they should NOT be allowed to fall back asleep for hours at a time - especially if they black out - because they may fall into a coma and not wake up!

Building a Bridge - A Case in Favour For

2007-10-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I attended a mentoring conference in Vancouver, an event that I had been looking forward to as we are starting our own mentoring program at VIRCS. I always like going over to the mainland as there are friends and family there, as well as great eats and shopping.

My journey started Tuesday afternoon. I left the office at 1:30 to catch the 3:00 ferry. I wanted to arrive in Vancouver early enough to buy dinner for my grandma, who has had a nasty fall recently. Everything was fine until the bus broke down in Saanichton. Although the bus driver assured us that another bus was coming shortly, we waited about 15-20 minutes. You'd think that they would send two buses - one that would go through Sidney and another that would go directly to the ferry terminal - but no, they sent one bus, crammed us all in, and slowly meandered through Sidney. Those who rushing for the ferry were stuck watching in frustration as the 3:00 ferry sailed away from the terminal.

Two hours later, I boarded the 5:00 ferry. I arranged for my brother to pick me up at a bus station, but more delays occurred due to traffic and so on. I finally arrived at my grandma's doorstep at 8:00pm...SIX AND A HALF HOURS after I left the office. My aunt had already bought some takeout, so I missed my chance to buy dinner and my poor grandma had her meal well after her usual schedule.

Next day, the conference ended at 4:30. There was a wine and cheese reception after - a great networking opportunity - but I thought I would have a quick glass and then head off early so as not to repeat the debacle of the day before. At about 4:50, I left for the bus station downtown, thinking I had plenty of time before the 7:00 ferry. After all, the Vancouver buses only take about an hour or so to get to the terminal. I texted my brother to compare the times for the public bus and the Pacific Coach Lines, and decided to treat myself to the coach, but I misread his message and thought it left at 6:20. So I wandered around a bit and then made my way to the station. Suddenly I was hit with the sinking realization that there was no way that the coach would leave so late and started to panic. I arrived at the station at 5:50, but the coach had already left at 5:30! I had no idea that the coach would actually take longer than the bus. By now, it was too late to catch any bus, and I was stuck waiting 2 hours for the next ferry - again. Of course this time I had no one to blame but myself...although I am convinced that the long travel day yesterday must have addled my brain a little. I caught the 9:00 ferry and my other brother kindly picked me up so that I wouldn't have to take the bus. I arrived at 11:00...six hours after leaving the conference.

So, in total, I travelled about 12.5 hours. Let's see where I could have gone in this time:
Vancouver to Toronto: 6 hours, 20 minutes
Vancouver to London: 9 hours, 40 minutes
Vancouver to Tokyo: 10 hours, 25 minutes
Vancouver to Mexico City: 10 hours, 30 minutes (via L.A.)

Of course, I'd have to add six hours of travelling time to get to Vancouver...

Normally I would not be in favour of building a bridge. I like living on an island. But when it takes me more time to travel to Vancouver and back than it does to fly to Japan, I have to re-think it a bit. Some Islanders are worried about "city slickers" invading Victoria - but I am willing to risk it!

On the up side - and I can see the funny side of things now that a few days have passed and my blood pressure has returned to normal - I got to read a lot from The Know-It-All, a gift I received from my friend, Susan. It is a memoir of this guy who has read the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A-Z, micropedias AND macropedias.

This is an impressive feat in my eyes. Our family are also proud owners of the EB - I remember years ago, a salesman came to the restaurant and pitched to the books to my dad. My father, who has always regretted not getting a university degree, was seduced by the fancy leatherette covers. Hoping to provide the privileges for his kids that he never had, he bought a set. I also tried reading all the volumes, thinking that I would know everything at the end. I didn't even make it through Volume 1 - A-ak to Bayes - but then again, I was 11. That's the great thing about The Know-It-All; the author has compiled a kind of "Best of the EB" in bite-sized entries. I'm already on "T" in only a week!

One of my favourite entries was about Sherlock Holmes. Watson, his assistant, was amazed that Sherlock was familiar with over 100 different kinds of tobacco, yet could not name the planets in the solar system. Sherlock replied that the brain could only hold a certain amount of information, and he chose to remember only what was useful to him; being able to identify tobacco could help him to finger a suspect, whereas knowing which planet is after Jupiter is completely useless. So there you go - all that information about how an internationally-trained engineer can get his/her P.Eng designation, or the licencing requirements for a crane operator has somehow pushed out any knowledge I had about bus schedules in Vancouver!

Ice-capades extravaganza

2007-10-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, I wanted to do a fun activity, like ice-skating. I called up the local rec centre for the drop-in schedule, but that night was "teen night." While adults were welcome to join, I was warned that it might be a "bit chaotic." I really wanted to skate, and I thought to mysellf, "How bad could it be?" So I asked everyone to dress up in the clothes they used to wear in high school and show up at 7:30.

Wearing a hideous sweater that is eerily similar to a favourite of mine in Gr. 8, my brother and I went to the rec centre at the set time. To our surprise, there was a huge line to get in - and we were the only people over the age of 12! The noise was deafening. Still, it was really fun - and I only fell once!

At this point, my brother asked, "Why don't we go to the pub...now?"

Emily is pretty in pink

"I'm not too sure about this!!"

Ah, the 80s...age of the ugly sweater

Jillian's feathered hair, a Heather Locklear tribute

Post-race

2007-10-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Almost there! Get me to those cookies in the food tent!

Are those tears or raindrops streaming down my face? A little of both.

Slowly, slowly walking back to the house

Well, everyone had a good chuckle at my "penguin waddle" at work today. Going up and down stairs are still a bit of a challenge, but gradually my quads and calves are loosening up. The worse is getting up after sitting for a while. I should be ready to go in a few days! I'm already looking up marathons for next year - guess this means I'm addicted...or crazy.
I'm looking forward to getting together with the running clinic to see hear everyone's stories. I hear there were some tummy troubles, cramping, etc. Someone even had to go to the hospital to get an IV! So, I fared pretty well, I think! I am so proud of everyone for finishing and doing so well - a real testament to personal strength and excellent coaching.

Just for fun, here is a clip showing you how to recognize a marathoner:
http://completerunning.com/archives/2007/04/27/how-to-recognize-a-marathoner/

Yes, those are bleeding nipples in the clip, and YES it does happen! Usually to men, who don't have a bra to reduce the chafing effect of the t-shirt. Ouch. Let this be a lesson: always apply Bodyglide and "Nip Guards" (nipple-sized bandaids)! I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!

Thanks again to everyone who made it out to cheer me on, wished me luck, ran with me, and supported me (and sorry to Hereity and Roy, who I missed at the finish line!). You guys inspire me!

3:56:24!!

2007-10-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Mission accomplished! I ran under 4 hours and beat my last year's time by almost eighteen minutes! Here's how the day went:

5:45 - time to get out of bed, eat breakfast and get ready.

7:30 - in the car with my dad, who misheard me and went down to Dallas Road instead of avoiding it. We run into quite a few detours and I'm starting to get a little testy with him (sorry, dad!)

8:00 - meet with the marathon group from Peninsula Runners. Nervous hugs and pats on the back for good luck all around. Feel a little ill, but at least the weather is clear - so far.

8:25 - John and I line up at the 4-hour finish start. The energy and excitement revs me up and I can't stop smiling.

8:30 - we're off!

3km mark - I see Katie and Linh J. walking down Cook St. Big cheers and smiles from both.

4km mark - I lose John at the water station. I can't see him through the crowd, so I push on.

9km mark - now we've left Beacon Hill Park and get on to Dallas Road. Weather is holding up nicely and I see a rainbow - upside down! I see Katie and Linh again and smile for the camera.

13km mark - starting to rain lightly.

16-17 km mark - light rain turns heavier and heavier. Wind is kicking up as well, but ocean view is beautiful. I see Rob, my coach, somewhere on Oliver I think. The hill starts near the Golf Club.

22 km mark - I start seeing some of the faster clinic members pass by on the other side. My right hamstring is starting to feel tight.

23 km mark - stop to wash down some ibuprofen.

26 km mark - see John running on the other side. Can you believe that this is his first race, ever? What chutzpah.

30 km mark - I think I hit the wall about here...I keep looking at my arm where I wrote "Right to Play" to remind myself why I am running, and a happy face, to remind myself how lucky I am to be doing this. The awesome volunteers and spectators keep me going.

32 km mark - really starting to pour. As I pass Oak Bay, I see Blair and Yoshie, who seem to come out for all my races! Thanks, guys!

36 km mark - Emily, Sarah and Andrew from my workplace cheer me on when I most need it!

37 km mark - I hear my name being screamed and some loud ruckus - it is Meghan and Ayesha, my co-workers!

38 km mark - Again, my name is being called, and this time, it's Jim and Yvonne, my running partners from the half marathon. Jim, who has already run a half marathon, starts to run with me and talks me throught the "undulating" hills. The hills we did in training were much harder, but now I'm really tired and I struggle a bit. I see Randy, my coach, who cheers me on.

40 km mark - Meghan and Ayesha again! Jim continues to talk me through the last hills. My right knee is giving me some serious pain, but everything else is numb. I would have slowed down here, were it not for Jim.

41.2 km mark - only 1 more km. I turn up the heat, dig deep and push on forward.

42.2 - FINISH! I cross the line at 3:56:24 (chip time), 3:56:59 (gun time). I see Laura, another running partner, Randy, Emily, and my family at the end. I get wrapped with a space blanket and a medal around my neck. 5 months of training pays off!

Thanks, everyone who made this happen. I know sometimes I wasn't so fun to be around - obsessing about my training, aches and pains, diet, and in bed by 10 on Saturdays! Couldn't have done it without your support. Thanks to everyone who braved the wind, rain and cold and gave up their Sunday morning to cheer me on. It really, really means a lot to me! Thanks, too, to everyone who donated - you guys gave about $550 for Right to Play. And a HUGE shout out to my running partners and most of all my coaches, who lugged our water bottles, cheered us on, bought us popsicles on hot days, and were there every step of the way. I must be the luckiest runner in this marathon!

This is it!!

2007-10-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I picked up my race package, and as I was holding my race bib, I was suddenly hit by a wave of nauseous nervousness. I looked at the map and thought, "I am crazy to be running this!" I've been worried lately about what to wear, how to carry my gels, and whether or not I'm getting the stomach flu or not. But no matter what happens now, I'm going to be at the start line. It's been a great five months of traning - and now for that final push! I'm going to try not to get too nervous and enjoy the race - even if it is going to rain buckets! Here we go...

Three more sleeps!

2007-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on! Three more sleeps until the marathon. We had our last workout yesterday - 4 x 400s - nice and easy. Felt light going around the track, and ready to go. Everyone seems a little nervous and excited. I definitely have butterflies in my stomach! As I'm not an elite runner, I don't feel any pressure, so I'm really looking forward to it.

It feels good to be running again after a little break. I just have to keep healthy from now 'til Sunday. I've been watching the Hokkaido marathon - thanks, Koji! - for inspiration, and reading Runner's World magazine. Can't wait to toe that start line!

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting me, taking an interest in the training, and donating to Right to Play! You have helped me raise over $500!

You know you're a runner when...

2007-10-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

I've been fighting a cold, so haven't run since Saturday's 60-minute at-pace run and Sunday's Run for the Cure. Should be "up and running" by tomorrow though.

Just for a laugh...

You know you’re a runner when…..

You have a favourite flavor of Power Gels (vanilla-orange and banana-peach CarBoom!)
You’re proud of losing toenails
Saturday nights are restful sleeps before your Sunday run!
A neighborhood pool is started on your daily running streak
You put more time and work into your log book than filing your tax return
Your running shoe collection fills half your basement
You slip and fall, stop your watch and then check for injuries
You look into the mirror trying to see if you have a leg length discrepancy
Your vitamin a day pill is Advil
Your physical and massage therapist are on speed dial
You can correctly pronounce plantar fascitis and say “fartlek” with out giggling.

Thanks, Laura, for sharing!

Run for the Cure

2007-09-30T11:58:00.001-07:00

Sarah and me, modelling Team VIRCS t-shirts

Airlie shows us some team spirit

Christianne and me with the Salmon Kings' mascot - the Vancouver Island marmot (now how does that make sense?!)

Mary, me, and Christianne, post-race

Thanks to all the team member from VIRCS who ran/walked the Run for the Cure in the wind and rain! Go VIRCS!

Skipped workout

2007-09-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

I don't normally skip workouts, especially 12 days until raceday! But, as I'm starting to feel a little under the weather, and everyone at the office is sick, I decided to play safe and rest up. Today was only supposed to be an easy 30 minute run, so it's no big deal...only I was supposed to run with my colleagues.

I did, however, get lots of advice on how to beat a cold. It's interesting to hear all the remedies...I'd rather endure a cold than take some these cures!
- Swallowing a heaping tablespoon of minced raw garlic, smothered in honey
- Potassium broth (potatoes, onions, garlic, and parsley)
- Hot water, lemon, honey, and ginger
- Hot water and dried chrysanthemum blossoms
- Coke boiled with lemon slices (a Hong Kong recipe)
- Zinc lozenges with Vitamin C and echinacea
- Gargling with cayenne pepper

Garlic seems like a popular choice...my dad used to put raw cloves up his nose!! I'm not sure what he was trying to accomplish there! I don't like the smell or taste of raw garlic so I cheated and roasted it - but I did eat an entire bulb!! I pity my clients who are coming to see me tomorrow...

13 more sleeps

2007-09-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sept 23: 25km

Yesterday's workout was the first run of the "taper" period. Although it was almost 10km less than last week, it felt a lot harder because we had 6-7 very substantial, steep hills on the course. Coach, I thought we were supposed to be taking it easy from now 'til the race?! This must be what they call "tough love."

Logistics

2007-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's workout: 90 minutes (30 min warm-up; 45 minutes steady pace; 15 minutes cool down)

Friday workouts are always dicey because I have to do them before work. I never do well when I just roll out of bed, lace up the shoes and head out the door - I'm stil groggy and half-asleep, thirsty and in desparate need of a cup of coffee. Yesterday's workout was no exception...and to make matters worse, I needed the washroom after 30 minutes.

Going to the bathroom in the middle of the marathon is unavoidable, but you waste a lot of time waiting for those porta-potties; last year, 5-7 minutes were eaten up by my pee break. This may not seem like an unreasonable amount of time, but when you're trying to break a personal record or qualify for the Boston Marathon, every second counts! I just don't know how to get around this problem though...when you gotta go, you gotta go! And I'm not prepared to do what some elite runners do, which is pee in their shorts! I'm not that crazy!

Building "character"

2007-09-19T22:25:00.001-07:00

Our coaches, Randy and Rob, have devised a 3 stage training schedule where we build up strength and speed before tapering. The first part of the program consisted of hills to build strength and "character" - that's how you know it is NOT going to be fun. We started with 5 hill repeats and built up to 9. Keep in mind that this was in the middle of July! Tonight we finished 9 x 800m, the last speed workout before the long-awaited taper. As we were rounding the last lap in the dying light of the beautiful autumn day, I must say I did get a bit of the "runner's high."

I can't believe the marathon is only a couple weeks away! Randy told me last year that some people feel a bit depressed after the euphoria of finishing. At first, I scoffed at the idea - no more insanely long runs, early Sundays, blisters, chafing, or chiropractor appointments? Being able to drink, eat whatever, and go out on Saturday nights? Bring it on! But I do have to admit, I did feel a bit down in the dumps after finishing last year. There was so much buildup and I had devoted so much time to training that I just didn't know what to do after it was all done! (And of course, the thesis was not exactly something I looked forward to!) Well, I'll just have to keep myself busy somehow until the next training clinic in January!

3 weeks to go

2007-09-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today's workout: 34 km, the last long run before the marathon.
Weather: Cool and rainy
Course: through much of the marathon route http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1290912 (very scenic - lots of ocean views)
Distance actually ran: about 34.6 km
Time: 3hours 21 minutes
Pace: 5:50/min - about 10 seconds slower than target pace, but includes a pee break
Mood: sleepy - chipper - tired - relieved
Current status: kind of stiff and so tired I can't be bothered to write full sentences

But hey, now we're on a taper! The Sunday before the run I'm doing the Run for the Cure with my co-workers. Very exciting! (I'm especially stoked about the team t-shirts).

Off to bed now...

One more week 'til the taper!

2007-09-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight's workout: 8 street circuits (800m).

Lately I've been dreading the Wednesday workouts - feeling frustrated because I have been lagging behind. I considered skipping it, or maybe running on my own on the treadmill. My excuse was going to be work - I had to stay behind while some clients were being assessed. But then my colleague very kindly offered to stay so I could do my workout - and so I had to do it!

It was a cool but sunny night - perfect for running. Surprisingly, everything felt good - no complaints from the hips or knees, and no nausea. I think I even had enough energy to run a couple more! (That is encouraging as we are doing nine repeats next week!) So thank you, Hereity, for staying behind at work so I could train. I don't know why I skip workouts...I always feel so guilty that I can't enjoy my time off anyhow!

This Sunday is our last long run: 34km. Then we taper until the race. It's funny I look forward to a "short" distance like 20km! 25 sleeps to go...

"Gearing" up for runs

2007-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Compared to most sports, running seems to be relatively cheap - all you need is a good pair of shoes, right? That might suffice if you are a casual jogger, but if you're running a lot, there is actually a lot of gear involved.

First, you need technical clothes - that means dry, light, breathable clothes - no cotton. Wearing ill-fitting, cheap clothes results in blisters, chafing and a lot of discomfort, especially if you're running more than an hour. Even the socks are important - I shudder when I think about my cousin who runs in his old cotton tube socks. You also need a good hat or sunglasses for summer, a light but warm jacket for winter, and a good watch. Some people also swear by a heart rate monitor. And of course, a really great pair of shoes. My shoes - Mizuno Inspire - cost about $150 and I have to replace them every 8-9 months.

If you run marathons, then you need to consider nutrition. For any run lasting more than an hour, you'll have to replenish electrolytes, fluids, and calories. It gets quite technical. I carry a fuel belt when I run, which holds my gels, a house key, fluids, and quarters for when I get lost and need to call someone to pick me up.

For nutrition, I take goopy, sweet, syrupy gels. They are a bit hard to swallow but with lots of water, they are sort of palatable. Most are kind of gross, but I like Carb Boom: banana peach and vanilla orange are the best. I can't imagine having chocolate or cappuccino - yuck! Then again, I think gels are relatively easy to stomach compared to some things you get on ultra marathons. My coach says that at some aid stations for 50km + races, you get pizza, PBJ sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.! At Pauillac Marathon - a place with lots of vineyards - they have reds and whites at each station (but no Gatorade!) as well steak and oysters. Crazy! (But sounds like a lot of fun).

In the mornings, I mix my electrolyte and recovery drinks (Endurox - $40 for 2.5L!). With all these powders, bottles and gels I feel like an apothecary or a chemist sometimes! In my medicine cabinet I have a "valu-size" bottle of ibuprofen, SPF 40 sunscreen and Bodyglide, an anti-chafing stick that is my BEST friend when I run. I would bathe in that stuff if I could. Finally, I have 3 icepacks chilling in the freezer and my physiotherapist and chiropractor on my speed dial in case I need some fixin'!

After factoring in price of the clinics and race entries, you see that my hobby is actually quite expensive! But honestly, you can't put a price on that feeling when you are running in the fresh, clean air of the morning, feeling like every part of your body is moving in perfect harmony.

Morning mishaps

2007-09-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I am not a morning person? Today, most of the people in the running group ran the Lands End Half Marathon race. (Congratulations to everyone who ran!). I opted out and decided to run 20km at my marathon pace - 5:38 per km (aiming for sub 4 hour marathon). I mapped a really nice route through Oak Bay and Dallas Rd, running through some of the marathon course. Well, you can guess what happens when someone who is directionally challenged writes down a route before she has had her morning coffee...

The wrong turn was at Moss St. For some reason, I had written down a right turn when I should have turned left. (Distinguishing between right and left can be hard at 6am). I had a hunch that I was going the wrong direction, but didn't start heading back until I hit Fort St. At that point, I had to run through Cook St. Village and back towards Dallas Rd. It really wasn't that bad - I stopped at where I thought was 20km - except that I had to walk 30 minutes back to my house. I just calculated the distance and turns out I ran 21.3km - just a little over the distance for a half marathon. And my pace was 5:21! Felt good to know that I was on track.

This is not the first time I've taken wrong turns. The most memorable was when I ran the Run for MS in Vancouver. I had planned to run 12km - I hadn't run more than 11km at that point. I missed the turn and ended up running the 20km route!! I was hobbling for a good week. Another good one was when I mapped out a 15 MILE route instead of 15 km! The most recent debacle was when with my running partner, John, in the hilly part of Queenswood. We ended up running a couple of extra k's and adding a couple of big hills to an already tough route. Now he is always in charge of holding the map!

No wonder orienteering was my least favourite part of PE class...

VIRCS running club

2007-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday after work, a group from my workplace run together, and it is inevitably one of my favourite runs of the week. It's so nice to get out of our chairs, away from the computers, and into the sunshine. We are lucky because we are downtown - we usually run right by Ocean Pointe Inn or in Beacon Hill Park. I was a bit hesitant to start it at first, but people have been really enthusiastic and they even ran by themselves while I was in Spain. And we are going to start to have them on Tuesdays as well! It is especially great to see those who hadn't run at all progress from running about 5 minutes (with walk breaks) to running 20. I love to run and I'm super happy when someone "converts" into a runner. The more running partners for me the better!

Tonight's inspiration

2007-09-05T22:45:00.001-07:00

John, my inspiration for running and former Right to Play participant, came to Peninsula Runners to talk about his experience in the refugee camp in Rwanda. It was amazing - you could tell that people were really touched by his story. You could hear a pin drop, everyone was listening so intently. John even came to the workout afterwards, and blew us all away with his speed and enthusiasm! It was great to see him burning up the track while singing, laughing and cheering us on. And this is without any training, and in hiking shoes!! Well, he definitely inspired me because I had one of my best workouts in a long time. Lately, I've been really struggling and lagging behind (except in my long runs), but tonight, I felt good again. I think I just needed some perspective....

Pledge page is in the works. Stay tuned.

Easy run day

2007-09-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

I love "easy run" days. Finally the sun came through the clouds and Meghan, my co-worker, and I went for a relaxing run in Beacon Hill Park. Everything is feeling pretty good...maybe I don't have to Vaseline and duct tape my blister after all! (My coach has some craaaaazy suggestions). You'd never know it, but long distance running is an extreme sport! Just ask those poor male marathon runners who cross the finish line with bleeding nipples. Ow. The list of injuries I've had is long: blisters, black toes, chafing, IT band tightness, knee soreness, foot cramps...Then again, I'm way better now than I was last year, when I spent a good time of the day propping up my leg with an ice pack and knocking back the ibuprofen like it was candy. How does that song go? "Hurts so good..."

Another long run done!

2007-09-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo, another one done. Randy, our coach, mapped out a nice route so we were running right by farmland, the beach, and the ocean. There is this one farm that has these huge pigs lolling around in the mud, and there was this hen that was standing on the back of the biggest one. Except for the occasional stench of fertilizer, it was quite lovely. I especially liked the fields of sunflowers. I actually felt really good today - running long and hard does wonders for heartache.

Sacrificing Saturdays

2007-09-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Day 73: Those who know me know that I am not a morning person, as seen by the many times I've put on clothes backwards or made coffee with no coffee grounds. So, I often find it hard to motivate myself to wake up and run. Yesterday I woke up at 6, bleary-eyed, and promptly hit the snooze button. The schedule said to run 110 minutes, but since I had a late start, I could only run 45. The first 10 minutes were a bit of a slog, but as my legs started to wake up, the cobwebs cleared from my brain and I began to enjoy having the streets to myself.

Tomorrow's long run starts later - at 7 - but as I have to eat breakfast and drive to Elk Lake, I can't exactly roll out of bed at 6:30. My alarm is set for 4:45, which gives me plenty of time to digest my peanut butter toast and coffee, do the Sunday crossword, get all my drinks and gels ready, and mentally prepare myself. It's hard giving up my Saturday night - no drinking or late nights for months now, it seems! - but it will all be worth it when I cross that finish line on October 7.

Countdown is on! 39 more sleeps until the marathon

2007-08-29T21:44:00.001-07:00

As I am raising money for Right to Play, I thought I'd document the last six weeks of training - perhaps my pain will inspire you to donate more ;)

Day 71: Today I was really tired and the workout felt really hard. We ran 5 times around Cedar Hill Golf Course - for those who know it, it is basically uphill with a few downhills the entire time, no flat bits. Plus running on chip trail makes it all that much harder as there is more resistance.

I don't know where all my running partners got their energy from. Every circuit was a struggle. I think my coaches were a little worried about me because they accompanied me up some hills - my face must have looked like thunder. The best part was the shower after! It felt great to wash off the salt, dust and all the disgusting little bugs that stuck to my sweaty body.

Next long run is this Sunday...32km. This is the tough bit because the runs are getting long and my body's really tired from training. And these next couple of weeks are going to be hard - I've just run a 30km last week and I have one or two more 30km+ runs before the race. I don't know how my body will handle running 100km+ in a four week span!!

I train with Peninsula Runners in Victoria, and have been with them since January 2006. They've helped me through a marathon and a couple of halfs so far...and I've gotten personal bests each time. My coaches have been there every Wednesday night as I am struggling at the track or up hills, and every Sunday morning for our long runs. My marathon coaches have been awesome, following us around with their bikes with Gatorade, water, Bodyglide, and encouragement. It takes some of the slower ones (like me) about 3 hours to run 30 km, so they're really patient and dedicated! I train with Peninsula for their support and for all my fellow runners, who have been so supportive...and a good thing they are because my friends and family tend to think I'm nuts ;)

New job, new challenges

2007-03-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

(Photos from the BC Construction Association conference in Nanaimo. I got to wear a hard hat for the first time!)

In 1980, Luis Alvarez proposed that a meteorite led to the demise of the dinosaurs. The very idea that a "chance" occurrence could change history - even wipe out an entire species - cast doubt upon the Darwinian theory of evolution and the process of natural selection. Does everything happen for a reason? Or is everything random?

When my mom lost her job seven years ago, someone suggested that she go to the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) to get some help. The warmth was palpable the minute I stepped through the door. As I was browsing the information rack, I was struck by the amount of challenges immigrants face. Where do they find housing? How do they get a job? How do they get medical care? Where do they find schools for their kids? Who do they talk to if they are facing legal problems? As Canadians, we take services for granted, but for newcomers, they may not how to access these things. What a wonderful resource VIRCS is - all this information and help under one roof!

While I was living in Japan, I thought about my career choices. I loved music, but I didn't want to pursue a career in musicology and I didn't want to teach piano anymore. I felt I needed something more rewarding and challenging. I loved teaching English, but was sometimes frustrated at my students' apathy. Then I began thinking about my mom. She was enrolled in English classes at the time and was making great strides. It was amazing to see her confidence grow. Previously, I had to help her with everything - from filling forms to making appointments - and now she could do everything herself! She was making friends from all over the world, learning new things and gaining independence. Now that I have lived in a foreign country myself, I realize what an accomplishment it is to be able to do things on your own and not having to rely on others. I still remember the day when I could withdraw money from the ATM without any help, and what a great feeling that was! So, I decided that I wanted to teach English to immigrants and refugees, to those who need and want to learn the most.

When I came back to Canada, I starting volunteering at VIRCS once a week while continuing my studies. One day, I just happened to see a job opening at the centre and applied at once. I didn't think that I had a hope in hell, so mentioned my mother and her story in the cover letter and I sent it. To my surprise, I got an interview. I didn't get that job, but a few months later, I got a call offering me a position as a case manager. And that's how I ended up here.

What is a case manager? In a nutshell, I help people in their job search. We are not a placement agency, so we don't "find" them a job and take a cut from their paycheque. We help our clients understand the Canadian work environment and the labour market, how to network, how to access federal services, write resumes and cover letters, etc. It can be really stressful sometimes, and I often feel inexperienced and inadequate. But it is an incredibly rewarding and challenging job. I meet people from all over the world - our clients come from over 100 countries!(We have incredible potlucks!) Each and every one of them brings a new perspective. I learn so much from them. And they come from all walks of life - I've helped people who are concrete finishers, artists, veterinarians, architects, financial analysts...you name it! It's fascinating learning about all these professions. The job certainly keeps me on my toes. You never know what will happen and you never know who will walk in the door. Everyday is a new possibility.

Do I believe in fate? That one tiny moment - accompanying my mom to the centre - really did change my life. So, you never know how things will turn out...something that may have seen inconsequential can turn out to be life-altering.

Lion dance

2007-02-18T19:28:00.001-08:00

Gung hay fat choy!

2007-02-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! May year 4705 be happy and prosperous for you. Here are some pictures of our offering to our ancestors from last night, from the setting up of the food and booze to the burning of the paper money. And yes, that is en entire chicken - head and all - on the table. This is a day that I am truly happy to be a vegetarian!

Winter pics

2006-11-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

2006-11-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe that my last post was two months ago! My apologies. I've been working really hard to get this first draft of the thesis in. My supervisor gave me a deadline - and if I didn't meet it, I would have to pay for another term, just to do the oral exam. And I can think of a lot of other things I'd rather spend my money on! Right now I'm waiting for the comments from my committee members. If all goes well, I'll be able to file in a couple of weeks. Keep your fingers crossed.

Not much has happened since I last wrote...went to Calgary for a wedding (the sixth and last!) and that was fun...ran the half marathon and had a personal best...and had yet another birthday.

This year I got lots of cookbooks. Finally got the Re-bar one - Re-bar's a veggie/organic restaurant, a Victoria institution, really - and I've been flipping through that lots. The recipes can be a bit labour-intensive and sometimes they call for things that aren't normally in my cupboards, but hey, now I'm the proud owner of chipotle pepper puree and liquid smoke! One could always do with a little liquid smoke in their lives, I say...

One of the cookbooks I got - and this must have been a joke - is entitled "How to Win a Cowboy's Heart." It's this whimsical little book that features hand-drawn pictures of cowboys pulling on their boots, anecdotes from the ranch, and recipes like "Mess O' Greens," "Company Green Beans," and "Chicken-Fried Steak." The recipes are grouped in menus with names like "Hand Holdin' in the Parlour" and "Before the Barn Dance." I had a riot reading this book...can you imagine - a vegetarian cooking for a cowboy?! Well, I guess anything can happen. Maybe one of these days I will be in a gingham apron in front of a stove at the crack of dawn, cooking up a mess of grits - whatever they are! - for my man and some hungry hands. Suuure...

The last song of summer

2006-09-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Dahlias in the garden

Locarno beach, Vancouver

Golf at Henderson Park

Suddenly the nights are cool, the leaves are falling, and kids are moaning about going back to school. Where did the summer go?

I'm looking forward to the fall though, especially since I hope to (finally) finish the thesis. I haven't written as much as I had hope - one never does - but I'm about half way through, and things are looking up. Besides, I have to finish by December because...it looks like I may have a job! I don't want to jinx it, but I have a job lined up at the Immigrant and Refugee Centre where I volunteer, working as an employment counsellor. One case worker is going on maternity leave as of December, so I'll be taking over for her.

My plan was to teach English for a while until I needed a break or a change, and then move on to this kind of work, but I can't very well turn down this amazing opportunity. I'm really lucky to get this job, especially considering that I don't have any experience or relevant education. It's such a relief to have something lined up for when I graduate, even if it is just for a year.

Unfortunately this job means that I'll have to live in Victoria at least until December 2007. I really had my heart set on moving to Vancouver, or going abroad, but it would be silly for me to move there for no reason. I'll just get a place of my own here once my coffers fill up again. Besides, Vancouver will still be there when I finish, but this job has magically landed into my lap and who knows when I'll get an opportunity like this again?

And now for something completely different...

Some light end-of-the-summer reading: funny quotes from stars (credit Mike Devlin from the local paper). Happy laughing!

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies and death and stuff." -- R&B singer Mariah Carey, also a Make-a-Wish Foundation spokeswoman.
"The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." -- ex-NFL quarterback Joe Theisman, apparently no Norman Einstein.
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." -- Brooke Shields, after becoming a spokesperson for an anti-smoking campaign

"On the road, hooking up is kind of like Burger King: you have it your way. You won't feel good about it afterward, but it will get the job done." -- Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, classic as always.
"(Wheel of Fortune letter-spinner) Vanna White said since her son has been born, she wants to work less. Vanna, you turn tiles for a living. If you worked any less, you'd be the triangle player in K.C. and the Sunshine Band." -- comic Dennis Miller, so good before he became a Republican.

A life on hold

2006-08-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." - Albert Einstein

Ten months back in Canada, and I've just finished the first draft of my second chapter. Things have been progressing much slower than I thought, needless to say. Fresh off the plane and optimistic, I was sure I'd be finished in April. Then June. Then the end of the summer...you get the drift. It's good to be optimistic I guess!

This thesis has been on my mind for so long that I can't imagine my life without it. I can't imagine having a job - a real proper job - and coming home at night, and having no other obligations. Imagine: being able to leave the work at work! Sounds wonderful to me.

Everything has been on hold at the moment, and I feel a little claustrophobic, holed up in the library while real life happens outside in the sunshine. I obsess about this thesis: it's the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before bed. I can't relax; I feel guilty for every moment I spend away from it. I have to read the paper religiously every morning to remind myself that there are much much much more important things happening in the world than my little thesis. I don't like feeling so cut off from the world, so I make it a priority to keep in touch with my friends, to do things that I enjoy.

Don't get me wrong - this thesis is no one's fault but my own and I don't intend to whine about it (although I do!!) Plus I realize what I privilege it is to go to school and study something that I find interesting. And I actually do enjoy writing (although not enough to make a career out of it). But, when I do finally finish this thesis, it'll be like a prisoner finishing a jail term! Things I'm planning to do:
- TRAVEL (maybe a volunteering stint abroad?)
- Take up piano again
- Get a job and move out
- Learn something new
- Breathe and relax
- Have fun again
- Nothing at all!

Just a few more months, just a few more months, just a few more months...

One year ago today

2006-07-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, I left Japan and began my journey home. I remember it being a stressful day: there were bank accounts to be closed, tearful goodbyes to be said, and my apartment keys and my trusted mama-chari (granny bike) to be relinquished. As I rode the train to the airport, catching my last glimpses of the beautiful lake and mountains, I felt all those special people and places being torn from my heart. It was a very, very sad day.

Coming back to Canada was hard at first because I had to let go of not only my old life in Japan but also my old life in Victoria three years ago. Almost one year has passed since I've come back, and I think I've finally come to terms with things. To use Aggie's favourite phrase, I'm "in transition", but once I finish this thesis, I'll be free again. I'm looking forward to the next adventure.

Would I live in Japan again? I'm not sure. Those three years were amazing, and were I to go back, it might be disappointing. To use an old cliche, you can't turn back time. Things wouldn't be the same, and I wonder if some of the magic would be lost. Then again, every experience is full of new possibilities, with new places to see and new friends to meet.
Maybe after graduation I'll reward myself with a trip, one that includes a stopover in Japan. Then I'll head up to Imazu, have udon with Hatsumi, go for a swim in the lake or soak in the hot springs, have a good long chat with my dear friend, Mr. Oe, and have a beer or three with the Takashima-gun gang at Bumblebee, our local.

My horoscope today says: "If you focus on the things that you have in common with other people, and ignore the things that keep you apart, this will be a highly productive day. Friendships and group activities are under excellent stars at the moment, so make an effort to work with people and your efforts will pay off for you, for them, and for the world at large." I'm going to remember my time in Japan by eating sushi and drinking Kirin today, and I'm going to make a toast to all the friends I've made in those three years. You'll always have a special place in my heart. Itsumo genki da na! (^3^)

Strange rites of passage

2006-07-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Before people get married, their friends and family seem to feel that they need to subject the happy couple to odd, humiliating rituals, otherwise known as bridal showers and stags.

Bridal showers are usually fairly tame affairs, with friends, aunts, moms and grandmothers nibbling on sandwiches while they play silly games, like draping the bride in a gown of toilet paper. Of course, if you imbibe in too much sangria, like my friend Megan here, you may end up eating "dicks on sticks" (chocolate-covered bananas with a strawberry on top). These were surprisingly good...although it was a little disconcerting to see the little old lady across from me deep-throating hers with great relish!

Men, on the other hand, are much more cruel. While Megan's shower was a friendly gathering at her parents' home, her poor husband-to-be, Dave, was wandering around Victoria drunk...and in a diaper. He doesn't remember too much from that night, but perhaps that is for the best! Of course, the tradition of completely humiliating the groom and getting him absolutely smashed will never stop, because the groom probably tortured his friends when they got married, and those same men were probably all to eager for some revenge. And on and on it goes.

So be careful what you do to your friend, because it may come back to haunt you!

The summer of love

2006-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, ok, it's not the summer for me per se, but love is certainly in the air! I've been invited to seven - yes, seven - weddings this year. Hmm, I wonder if there's a wedding cake diet?

Fathers

2006-06-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

What happens to Chinese men when they get older? No matter how polite, genteel and well-mannered they are when young, somehow, over the years they morph into something completely different. At what point to they change from gentlemen to men who slurp their soup, who burp and fart without care, who pee with the doors open (and then don't flush), who sleep on the floor, who gargle all their drinks and who use toothpicks after dinner and suck (with great delight) on all the food that they've unearthed between their teeth? But you gotta love these curmudgeons, even when they're dislodging phlegm every 10 minutes, because they're the guys who came to this country with $5 in their pockets and not a lick of English and somehow managed to be successful. And they're our dads ;)

Round and round we go

2006-06-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Survivor's Lap - Relay for Life, May 26, 2006

Our team tent and table of junk food (hey we need fuel!)

Kari gets into the chips

Last week, corporate teams, families, Girl Guides, students and mommies got together, braved the rain and muck and participated in the Relay for Life. This year, it was at the Planetarium, which unfortunately meant that we were running around a circle of pylons placed on a patch of grass!! I got dizzy just from walking around it for an hour. (Luckily we all had shifts). Of course, with all the rain, this "track" turned into mud after 12 hours of people going round and round and round...I hope I don't get reincarnated as a horse in the next life! Still, it was a fun experience - we had a little barbeque, there was coffee and food all night long, and the Planetarium was open, so we could play video games, and watch laser show and movies whenever we got too cold and wet. Plus the event raised over $100,000 for the BC Cancer society! Thanks to Kari for organizing everything. Rommel - next time we get first dibs on the tent!

It's not you, it's me

2006-05-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd clear things up about my last post - I don't hate dentists. One of my best friends is a dentist and I admire her for all that she does and I know she gives each and every one of her patients all her care and attention. I don't even hate my dentist. After all, he has been nothing but patient with me. Dentists work long and hard to get where they are and then work even harder and longer, and are seldom appreciated.

So...my sincere apologies. Didn't mean to perpetuate a stereotype. After all, sometimes visits can even be pleasant. My favourite part is the end ;)

Brush up, floss and see your dentist regularly, so you don't have to face the drill and then write whiny blog entries like yours truly. Do you think a dentist can extract my foot from my mouth?

A biannual torture

2006-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how different countries approach medical care - different treatments, different priorities, different approaches. For instance, drugs are weak in Japan, so you often end up taking about 5 different pills for one symptom. And while they go to their doctor for every cough and sniffle, it seems that the average Japanese person won't see their dentist unless there is something wrong. While this isn't the best oral hygiene, I have to admit that I didn't miss my checkups at all.

I haaate going to the dentist. I had a particularly traumatic experience when the dentist couldn't freeze me properly, even after sticking three or four needles in my mouth. So I just gripped the arm rests really hard while he drilled. I was in so much pain that I cried during the entire procedure. Ever since then, I absolutely dread going to the dentist, to the point that once I burst into tears even before he walked into the room! I'm sure I have WARNING: PROBLEM PATIENT stamped onto my file.

Checkups are awful. You're sitting there with this harsh light shining into your eyes, while someone is jabbing sharp objects into your bleeding gums. Meanwhile, your ears are getting assaulted with 'lite rock' hits - as if the whole experience isn't unpleasant enough, you're forced to listen to Celine Dion, Bryan Adams and Heart! I could never work in a medical office - all the Enya would put me over the edge. (I have no idea why it's called easy-listening - I find it very hard to listen to!) And why do hygienists and dentists insist on making small talk, when you have all this equipment in your mouth??

I do feel sorry for them though. No one ever looks forward to their dental appointments. It must be hard to be so loathed! I can't say it would be a fun or easy job - peering into people's gross mouths all day, and dealing with troublesome, wussy patients like me. And lucky them, they get to see me next month too! Hope they have their tissue boxes ready...

4:14:09

2006-05-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Running clinic: $89.99
Race entry fee: $85.00
Fuel belt: $49.99
Blister-free socks: $19.99
Shoes: $175.00
Chiropractor/physiotherapy/massage therapy: $250.00
Crossing the finish line: Yup, you guessed it...PRICELESS!!

Last Sunday, in drizzly Vancouver, I completed my first marathon. It was definitely one my most memorable experiences.

As you all may know, training has been a struggle for me, but on race day, I decided that hey, I made it to the start line. That is achievement enough. If for some reason I don't make it to the finish, I know that I gave it my best, and I have nothing to be ashamed of. I put absolutely no pressure on myself; I just wanted to enjoy the day and the experience. So I took deep breaths, took in the sights and had a great time. I think I ran the entire race with a huge smile on my face.

The entire race was just amazing. Being with all those other runners was great; it was me and 3500 others struggling together to reach the same goal. We all had our own reasons, and had our own way of getting there, but we were all heading towards the same place. Some people were involved with the Team in Training, raising money for leukemia. Some were running for loved ones, and had their photos taped to the backs of their shirts. Some were running to smash records, others were just trying to finish and some were even celebrating their birthdays!

When I got to Stanley Park, I passed someone who was running with no legs. It's no easy task running a marathon but I could not imagine doing it on two prosthetics! He was definitely an inspiration to the rest of us, and every person who passed him said something encouraging to him. This was about halfway, and I was beginning to flag a little, so I thought of this guy, who had lost both of his legs, but wasn't going to let his disability stop him. And then I began to think of everyone I knew who had gone through difficulties - losing loved ones, fighting disease, struggling through school, moving to faraway countries, dealing with breakups and divorce, giving birth...marathons are a piece of cake compared to all that!

What really kept me going though were all the spectators and the volunteers. As you can see from the pre-race photo, my name is on the bib, and it was awesome to have all these people scream out "Go Annie! You can do it!" Some people wrote funny signs, or wore silly costumes, others had "Eye of the Tiger" blasting on their stereos. Each and every one of them put a big smile on my face. I really have to admire all the people who were willing to stand out there in the chilly rain for hours, supporting the runners. The best was seeing my friends Huyen and Greg, who woke up extra early on their day-off and drove all around the course following me and taking pictures. Even other runners got a kick out of them, especially Huyen's enthusiasm!

As I neared the finish line, I started to choke up. This was it! The last 3k were the hardest, but that's when the supporters really started to scream and yell. As soon as I saw the finish line, a flood of relief hit me and I started to cry. The lady who put the medal around me neck gave me a huge hug, which I sorely needed. During training I kept telling everyone that I just wanted to finish this one marathon and never do one again...well, I'm already planning to do another!

So thanks to everyone who sent me good vibes, to all who supported me, to my medical practitioners who kept me on the road, to my running clinic people and especially my coach, my family and friends who had to endure all my complaints about injuries (sorry!) and all my running buddies, past and present. And a HUGE shout out to Huyen and Greg who so kindly put me up for the weekend, supported me during the race and spoiled me rotten afterwards with good food and a trip to the spa!

Back to the starting line

2006-04-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Over 12,000 people huffed and puffed at the Times-Colonist 10k this morning. A friend and some people from the running clinic were participating, so I thought I'd go out and cheer them on.

And what a beautiful day it was to race! Excitement was in the air as runners were warming up in the streets of Victoria. There were people with balloons, runners in costumes, and little kids cheering on their parents.

Twelve years ago, I ran this race - my first one. Up until I was 18, I abhorred running. I used pretty much every excuse I could think of to get out of running in gym classes. Running was only slightly more enjoyable than gymnastics (I still hate gymnastics). Still, I always admired runners. There was something about that steely glint in their eye that captured me. In high school, I befriended a runner, and he was the one who encouraged me to start. And the addiction started!

It's amazing to think how little I knew about running back then. I didn't have proper shoes, or clothes, and had no idea about nutrition or injury prevention, or how even how to train for a 10k. No matter. Because I didn't know there was a right way, I wasn't worried that I was doing it the wrong way. The night before, I carb-loaded with a huge plate of spaghetti (which apparently you're not supposed to do anymore) and watched Chariots of Fire. I had butterflies the next morning, but I had a great race. The cheering pumped me up and gave new life to my legs whenever I felt tired. And when I finally saw that finish line, I just couldn't believe that I had done it!

I'm sure there are many people who ran today who have similar stories. They definitely inspired me and reminded me why I run. So, hats off to all who finished today, especially those who finished their first race. Congratulations. You're no longer a jogger - you're a runner.

Kidnapped by the hockey gods

2006-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year...the NHL playoffs. After missing it for three years, I am especially excited that the Canadiens are in it this time round. I know, I know, I should support the Canucks, and I do, but they're not in it this year. I've always been a Habs fan, so don't give me any grief!! I always get mocked for being one, but you don't know any better when you're a kid, and I'm a loyal fan. So these days I'm glued to the telly, watching games. My already dismal social life has gotten even worse! Everything is on hold. I almost (but not really) wish the Habs would get knocked out so that my life can continue. Things are pretty quiet at the moment, but a few weeks back, I did go to this beer tasting event at the university. I imagined a wide variety of microbrews and good patio fun...instead I was faced with a pretty dismal selection of mostly mass produced beer (c'mon...Corona at a beer tasting??) and a bunch of drunk 19-year-olds looking to score. This coaster about sums it up:

(Interesting to note that there wasn't an equivalent coaster for men to give to women.)

Still, I managed to score quite a few free samples. Here's how:

1) Keep your ticket in you pocket at all times (out of sight, out of mind)

2) Maintain eye contact with the bartender

3) Engage in light chit-chat

4) Thank him politely with a big smile, and walk away. Don't look guilty!

What also works is tagging along with someone who is buying beer when you've run out of tickets. When the bartender asks for your order, tell him your predicament and you might get a sample on the house. See how far it gets you!

No pain, no gain

2006-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was my last long run before tapering off for the race. I've been plagued by a recurring injury, but through lots of physio and stretching, I've been able to finish all my workouts...except for this one.

All last week, I've been fighting with myself. For the first time in ages, it was struggle to lace up those running shoes - usually I'm raring to go. My body is so tired from all the training and I felt burnt out, and those niggling doubts started to creep into my head. Mentally, I was not in a good place for that last long run, and sure enough as soon as the pain started, I psyched myself out and I quit. Even though my coach was right beside me cheering me on, as soon I stopped and started walking, that negative voice started telling me that there was no way I was going to finish this run. I was so mad and disappointed at myself for quitting, and of course all that negativity started to snowball. Instead of concentrating on all the runs I finished, I focused on the one I couldn't.

I've heard about active release therapy (ART) from my coach and a couple of other fellow runners, but physio was working for me, so I never bothered to check it out. However, after that disastrous run, I was ready to try anything, so I had my first appointment yesterday. It is super painful - sometimes you can hear people screaming as you're waiting outside - so naturally I approached the table with trepidation.

It was definitely as painful as I had expected. I didn't cry or scream though...only a few yelps of pain. Basically the chiropractor sticks his finger/knuckle/elbow into those sore spots, digs in, and moves your joint. It's as excrutiating as it sounds. The idea is to separate the scar tissue from the bone and move it around, making it looser. Obviously this guy is used to hurting people - he's known for going really deep - because he didn't really seem to concerned about my pain. (His job is quite similar to a dentist's in that the patients dread their appointments!)

In the middle of the night, I got up to use the washroom, and I felt this tingling in my hip. It was like I could feel it repairing itself! And there was no pain! Incredible. Of course, the real test is on the road, so this morning I hit the treadmill. Obviously he's not going to cure me with just one treatment, but aside from some soreness that subsided as I kept running, I was able to finish the workout, no problem. I joke that if I finish this marathon, I'm naming my firstborn child after my coach and physiotherapist. Looks like I'm going to have to include my chiropractor too. Keep your fingers crossed...two weeks left!

Hoppy Easter!

2006-04-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

My most memorable Easter has got to be the year I gave up sugar for Lent. My family isn't the church-going type, so I never knew what the holiday was all about, aside from chocolate eggs and bunnies. So when my friend, Bethany, told me that she was observing Lent, I decided to join her.

Our plan was not to eat anything with added sugar. That year I missed out on Valentine chocolates, birthday cakes, wedding cake and ski trip goodies. However, we did have a little breathing room...for instance, we could still have microbrewed beer, as there isn't any added sugar...and alcohol is naturally occuring (you see, we had our priorities!). We even found sugar-free chocolate, which sounds like a great loophole except that it
a) tastes horrible
b) can cause diarrhea!

Easter is a religious holiday, so we decided to try a different church every Sunday. We intended to try a synagogue, a Russian Orthodox church and maybe a mosque as well, but somehow we ended up going to a lot of Anglican churches. We started off getting "ashed" on Ash Wednesday, and for those many weeks, went to a different one pretty much every Sunday. It was an interesting experience...sometimes entertaining, sometimes nice, sometimes peaceful, sometimes a bit boring and once even scary! Attendance is rapidly dropping in churches, so as soon as parishoners see "new blood", they get all excited. The sweet old ladies at one place invited us to have cookies and tea...but there was one group who pounced on us as soon as the service was over and wanted our e-mails and phone numbers before they even asked us our names!

Finally, Easter Sunday rolled around. We went to the biggest, grandest church downtown. The place was packed and it was quite the spectacle - women were dolled up in hats and white gloves, and little girls in new pastel frocks. All Bethany and I could think of was our stash in the car...for days we had been planning for this day of indulgence and bought each other Easter eggs and our favourite treats from the bakery. We had mapped out all the places we were going to hit after church: Dairy Queen, patisseries, chocolate stores...

As soon as the service was over, we ran outside and were ravenously biting off the heads of our Easter bunnies right on the church steps! I hate to think what people thought of us two nuts! We gorged ourselves sick in the car, and promptly went into a sugar coma. We never did make it to any of the places we had planned to go, and spent the rest of the day nursing upset tummies.

See, denying yourself chocolate is unhealthy!

Battle scars

2006-03-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

As requested (ahem, Emma!), here is a pic of my poor, battered face. This was taken a couple of days ago, so my nose isn't as crooked as the first day, but the black eye is a lot darker now. Probably not going to get a date anytime soon, eh? ;) Man, my life reads like a comedy of errors lately...

Step outside and take a deep breath

2006-03-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first time I ventured outside since the accident...pretty traumatic. I know that she was just concerned, but the receptionist at the massage place just took one look at my face and was horrified. You can imagine how I felt! So I seriously thought about skipping my long run today. I didn't want to deal with all the questions, stares and snickering. I just wanted to hide under my covers until I look normal again.

Lucky for me, I have a super coach who talked me into coming out today. The marathon is coming up real soon and I can't afford to miss any more runs. Spending all that money on physio and massage, all that time training, giving up all my Saturday nights and (this was the hardest one) giving up the snowboarding season, I'm determined to finish this race!! It was hard for me lace up my shoes this morning though...I still get pretty upset at people's reactions. But the group is really great and supportive, and I made it...and finished 26 km too! My coach and a couple of family members followed us on bikes the whole way and talked us through it all, keeping us preoccupied, hydrated and motivated. It wasn't a great run for me time-wise, but it was the most emotional, and the most gratifying run I've ever completed.

There are a lot of parallels between training for this marathon and writing my thesis. Both require a lot of self-discipline, a lot of sacrifices, a lot of time, a lot of perserverence, and a lot of digging deep. Sometimes the road is bumpy, and sometimes you don't know where you're going. The road is long and arduous. Often, you question whether or not you can finish, especially with no finish line in sight. Both take a lot out of you, physically and mentally. Without my "support team", I'd wouldn't be able to finish either. So a HUGE thank-you to my coach, Peninsula Runners, my physio guy and my group for getting me this far. One step at a time, eh?

By the way, next year I'm setting easier, more fun goals for myself...

It's a sign

2006-03-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

After my big spill a few weeks ago, you'd think that I'd be a little wary of riding my bike. But I thought I'd better jump right back on so I wouldn't be afraid. Well, I had yet another accident on my bike today...but this time more serious! I was trying to get up on the sidewalk, hit the curb funny and well...my face met the telephone pole! Some people stopped but I thought I was ok, until this lady stopped me and told me that I might have a broken nose and cheek and called me an ambulance right away. My face looks like hamburger right now, but thank god nothing's broken. What a klutz. I think I'm going to hide in the house for while...

New beginnings

2006-03-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

Say hi to Sienna...Tania and Don's beautiful new baby girl.

Spring is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the longer, sunnier days, all the flowers and the warmth. In Japan, everything begins anew in the spring - the appearance of cherry blossoms is synonymous with the new school year and the beginning of new jobs.

About a year ago, I started this blog to keep in touch with people and to document my life in Japan. Needless to say, since moving back to Canada, my life has gotten a lot less interesting! It's been hard to find things to write about, so I decided I need some sort to project or experiment. Back when I was living abroad, new things were happening to me all the time, and I felt like a kid again, fascinated with everything around me. I have to say that I've lost that feeling! So, in the interest of preventing this from becoming a boring log of my boring life, I've decided to try something new every week - maybe going somewhere I've never been before, doing something I've always wanted to do but was afraid to try, or striking up a conversation with a total stranger. Hopefully the experiences will provide me with some good stories and photos!

The debacle that was St. Paddy's Day

2006-03-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Ah, St. Patrick's Day...a time to celebrate Ireland by participating in drunken revelry. I hadn't gone out for ages, what with all the studying and training, so I was really looking forward to having a few beer and some fun. Somehow it turned out a little differently from what I had expected...

Some friends and I arranged to meet at a pub. As I got there earlier, I tried to grab a table. Even at 5pm, the place was packed. A server told me that this table of four older men had already paid and should be leaving soon, so I stood by and read the paper, waiting for them. Well, even though they had paid, they kept ordering more food and drinks and I was standing there for quite a while. After about 30 minutes, they asked me if I was waiting for the table, and invited me to join them for a beer. And hey, who am I to pass up a free beer?

The two retirees were quite nice and had some really interesting stories. One was in the navy and had travelled a lot, and the other lived in Hong Kong for 20 years; I really enjoyed their conversation. However, the younger guy, a politician in his 40's, apparently had this "twitch in his cheek" as he called it, and kept winking at me. Needless to say I felt very, very uncomfortable! With no sign of my friends, I was starting to get worried that this was how I was going to spend St. Patrick's Day...being hit on by a slimy, portly, middle-aged politician in a green suit (kind of like a leprechaun, super-sized).

Thank god I eventually did find them, and then the real drinking began. After a few beers, we decided to cab it downtown, hoping to catch a live Celtic band and jig ourselves silly until the wee hours. Unfortunately, the bar that always has live music on didn't have a band that night, so without the distraction of dancing, there was a lot of drinking. Now, in my defense, I have hardly touched beer since I started training, so my tolerance was quite low. I actually didn't have that many (compared to what I used to drink back in the day), but somehow I ended up on my knees in front of the toilet.

I could hardly walk, so my friends got me a cab and I got sent home. After stumbling back to my house, with a few "accidents" on the way, I got in, and was surprised to see everyone was up. I made a bee-line for my room, as I didn't want anyone to see the state I was in, and then realized it was only 10 pm!! I had a little lie-down, hoping that a little rest would make me up to getting ready for bed...and woke up six hours later at 4am, with all my lights still on! Oops. Needless to say, I'm going to be spending today curled up in the fetal position on the couch in my pajamas, drinking peppermint tea. Thank god St. Patrick's day is but once a year!

Close call

2006-03-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Yikes, I was almost hit by car today! Biking at night + no reflective strips = bad idea. Guess he didn't see me signal and slammed on his brakes. I heard him and stupidly braked hard too, and fell right in front of the car. Scary shit! Man, that's my second near-death experience in less than two years! I'm a little shook up and bruised, but other than that, I'm OK...quite lucky. These things always puts things in perspective, hey?

Happy Tuesday!

2006-02-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Ok, I know, it's Valentine's Day (or as some prefer to call it, VD...hee hee). I celebrated by buying a beautiful brand new camera...a Canon Powershot A610. It was sad to say goodbye to my old Casio as I was very attached to it, but looks like I'll be having lots of fun with my new baby! Who needs men when you can have a new toy? This camera is way cooler, sleeker, sexier, smarter, flashier and more fun and less trouble than any guy I've met lately ;) I'm in love! Plus I can always upgrade to a new model when I get tired of it...

Wow.

2006-02-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning, opened up my e-mail and received a bit of a shock. While I was travelling in India, I had hit it off with this guy, and we had stayed in touch through phone calls and e-mails. While neither of us expected our relationship to continue, we were fond of each other, and I was happy to maintain a friendship with him. Well, this morning, after not hearing from him for a month, he tells me he's in Finland. With his ex-girlfriend. Who just gave birth to their baby daughter. WTF indeed.

I'm still reeling from the news. He told me about this girl before, but I had no idea that she was pregnant. Maybe he didn't either, and that's why I'm only finding out now. I don't want to think that he knew all along and hid it away from me. After all, he shared some really personal things with me, so why wouldn't he tell me that? I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I feel like the butt of a very bad joke.

I guess travel romances are always best left behind. I remember seeing this guy I had met in Europe years after, and it was pretty weird and disappointing. I really didn't want to see him again because what we had was perfect in its own way and I didn't want to spoil the memory of it. To me, that was a wonderful, romantic time in the hills of Austria and the sunshine of Italy. To bring it into the wet reality of Victoria, well, it ruined things a bit. Guess I should've remembered that this time round and left it well alone.

I need a good vacation...and a stiff drink.

Yatta!

2006-02-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

Just finished my proposal...woohoo! Okay, it took me about four months longer than I had expected, but you just can't rush inspiration! (^_-) It's been a long and frustrating process, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I was ready to throw in the towel...many times. The counsellor who is in charge of the thesis completion group tells me that I'm entitled to a "post-reinforcement pause" (which is psychobabble for "procrastination"). So I'm slacking off for the next few days...although I am already a bit bored! I'm planning my reading break get-away in the meantime...I haven't been anywhere for quite a while and I'm dying to get on an airplane.

The problem is where to go? Three choices: 1) Ottawa - to see friends, go snowshoeing, go to the National Art Gallery, and my friend may drag me to try speed dating! (and if I do end up getting dates afterwards, it will be speedy dating indeed!) 2) Calgary - to see friends, maybe snowboarding 3) California - to see friends, see San Francisco (never been) and of course sunshine!! It's really exciting to think about a trip, even if it's a short one, even if it's in North America. A change of scenery is always good. I just read that it's good to take a vacation every year and recharge the batteries; vacations prevent heart attacks! All that travelling was for the sake of my health, I swear...

Bad beginnings

2006-01-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

2006 - a new year, new beginnings. Mine started badly though...while waiting at a bus stop in Vancouver, my purse slipped off my arm without my noticing. I had gone a few blocks before I realized what had happened. Of course by the time we got back the purse was gone. I didn't have a lot of cash, but my camera was in there, and as you all know, I was very attached to it. My love for taking pictures started with that camera, and it has taken some really nice photos for me. Well, maybe I shouldn't get so attached to stuff anyhow. After all, it's just stuff. Only I will miss taking photos and I don't have the money to replace the camera at the moment.

I figure since the new year started off so badly, the rest of the days should be better, right? And I thought the year of the dog was supposed to be a calm, serene, peaceful year! I was looking forward to it after all the turmoil in the years of the monkey and rooster. Then again, Chinese year isn't until January 29th...maybe I will have a more auspicious start to the year then.

Sorry this was a downer of a post! But it is a bit funny (although I'm not laughing much right now!)...guess I never outgrew my clumsy, scatterbrained ways. Happy new year to all...hope your year had a better beginning than mine! Hugs to all.

Happy hols everyone!

2005-12-24T19:29:00.002-08:00

Last year, Emma, my friend in Japan, was teaching a lesson about Christmas and asked all the westside teachers how they celebrated holidays. Although our group was small, we had many different traditions...the New Zealanders have barbies, Aggie's family have dinner on Christmas Eve with all the Polish specialities, Josh celebrates Hanukkah and in Ireland, Emma joins hundreds of others for an icy dip.

Chinese people don't really have a tradition of celebrating Christmas, but my parents really tried to adopt the holiday for us. We had a tree, and we got presents, but sometimes they got things a little mixed up...for example, my parents were convinced that we couldn't open presents until Boxing Day because the presents were in boxes! We didn't hang up stockings, but Santa did slip us new books under our pillows. Our Christmas tree was decorated not with tinsels and baubles but with silk goldfish and rabbits, and the lights were mini Chinese lanterns. And Christmas dinner was always a mish-mash - turkey and mashed potatoes next to dishes of bok choy and boiled rice - an early version of fusion cuisine!

My Christmases abroad were pretty fun, but there's nothing like being home. Japan has adopted the holiday, but of course Christmas over there has its own unique twists. Somehow they have turned it into a romantic day for couples...girls are dragging their hapless boyfriends to Tiffany's to look at rings and all the love hotels are booked on the 25th, I kid you not. And everyone eats white cake with strawberries. Very strange. Apparently a while back they were selling crucified Santas...they knew that Christmas had something to do with an old bearded guy in a red suit and it also had to do something with a cross...and somehow they unfortunately combined the two! They don't have those Santas anymore, but occasionally I'd still come across things that would seem a bit sacriligeous...one year I was judging a Christmas pageant and was a little disturbed (but mostly amused) by a group of pre-teens wearing surplices and huge cardboard crosses, singing George Michael's "Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart"!

I was dreading Christmas shopping a bit, but the crowds haven't been bad and people for the most part get really into the spirit of the holiday. For example, last week I was waiting for the bus on a cold dreary day when all of the sudden, this bus with antlers and a huge red nose pulls up to the curb. The driver was in a green elf costume and Santa was handing out candy canes. The inside was decorated with holly and a portable stereo was playing carols. Every single person who got on that bus was so surprised and climbed aboard with a huge smile. People were laughing and talking with each other, and snapping pictures with Santa. It was great!

Merry Christmas everyone, wherever you may be. Hope 2006 brings you lots of love, laughter and happiness.

2005-11-29T20:52:00.000-08:00

When learning a foreign language, why do we remember certain words or phrases, but quickly forget others? From my own experiences both as a teacher and as a student, I've come up with some reasons why some words stick in our heads:

a) It's the first thing you learn - I will never forget how to say "How's the weather" in French, thanks to my Grade One teacher, Mrs. McGee (yes, she was Scottish!), who made us sing the phrase to the tune of "Skip to my Lou".

b) You say it or hear it a million times over - As a teacher in a high school, I learnt the word "uso" (no way!) pretty quickly!

c) It's useful - One night at the bar, a sleazy guy said "You're pretty" to me in every Asian language he could think of until he hit the right one!

d) It's funny - I can still say "You are as ugly as a frog" in Spanish...now there's a useful phrase!

Now if I can only figure out why my brother's knowledge of French consists mainly of Halloween vocabulary...

Guten Morgen!

2005-11-29T05:39:00.000-08:00

Feeding the bunnies on campus

Part of my research requires me to read some papers in German, so to review the tiny bit I've learnt four years ago, I've been auditing a translation course. Since English has its roots in the German language (as well as French) it's been interesting. I especially like the compound words; my favourite is Eier (eggs) + Auflauf (riot, or running amuk) = Eierauflauf (souffle)! It's great how they can just make up new words by stringing old words together. Of course this makes for some ridiculously long words. Apparently the longest word in German is: DONAUDAMPFSCHIFFAHRTSELEKTRIZITAETENHAUPTBETRIEBS-WERKBAUUNTERBEAMTENGESELLSCHAFT, which means "the club for subordinate officials of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services (name of a pre-war club in Vienna). In the Japanese language, there is a vowel between each consonant, even when using foreign words...for example, McDonald's becomes Ma-ku-do-na-ru-do. I wonder how Japanese students pronounce German!!

By the way, when "-er" is attached to a place name, it is an adjective describing where something or someone is from. So the meat between those buns is called a "hamburger" because it originated in Hamburg, the sausage you eat with beer is a "wiener" because it's from Vienna (Vienna is Wien in German) and the "frankfurter" is a specialty of Frankfurt! There's your useless bit of information of the day, a topic for those Christmas parties.

Time to get ready for school. I'm taking the bus today because Es regnet Bratwürste! (A strange way of saying it's pouring...but why not bratwurst? Why cats and dogs?) Tschüss!

Cypress Mountain

2005-11-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

My brother and I enjoyed the early snowboarding season last weekend. It was a bit too early - the powder wasn't great - but I sure got a lot of smiles and started up a few conversations by taking my board up to Vancouver in mid-November. That's the thing about fanatics...they're always friendly to each other!

Meeting the parents

2005-11-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

As it was my uncle's birthday last weekend, my family went to his house for dinner. (Go figure...the birthday boy cooked us dinner and, following Chinese custom, he gave us all "lucky money" too. No wonder Chinese people don't celebrate their birthdays). As we're all so busy these days, my brothers and I don't get to see our cousins that often, so it's nice to get together. This time, our table expanded to include a new person...my cousin's new boyfriend.

It's hard enough to meet your bf/gf's family, not to mention extended family, but when their culture is completely different from yours, I imagine it must be nerve-racking. Eating strange-looking food, observing foreign customs, all with people speaking a language you don't understand...I can't imagine! I remember my old boyfriend was quite nervous with my parents at first. Luckily he had more exposure to Chinese culture than fortune cookies, sweet and sour chicken balls and kung fu flicks. In fact my parents loved him because they could feed him pretty much anything, even things my brothers and I wouldn't touch. (Incidentally, I think my cousin's b/f passed with flying colours).

These days, especially in a country made up of immigrants like Canada, interracial dating is common. It can be hard for some families to accept - particularly the older members - but it is unavoidable when you live somewhere so multicultural. I remember when one of my cousins married a non-Chinese girl - the first one of the family to do so. The younger ones cheered (none of us wanted to be the one to break the mould), the older ones shook their heads and my grandma cried. Of course, as soon as grandchildren came into the picture, everything was okay.

Without question there are different challenges when two people come from different cultures, the biggest one being the language barrier. My parents speak English OK, but I still have to interpret sometimes (especially for my dad, who speaks a very "unique" version of the English language). There's also the fear of losing a bit of your identity; with first-generation Canadians, it is inevitable that some of the culture gets lost, and will continue to diminish with each generation. As a child of immigrants, I always felt stuck between two cultures - not quite Canadian, and not quite Chinese. Of course, there are a lot more immigrants nowadays, and there are schools in Vancouver where the Chinese are the majority. But when I was growing up in the suburbia of Victoria, I remember being painfully aware of being different. My parents worked in a restaurant, not in an office; we ate bok choy for dinner, not potatoes; my mom drove the restaurant delivery car, not a mini-van; I got "lucky money" on my birthday, not presents. Back then, I desparately wanted to be white-collar white. Kids these days don't seem to have the same angst - maybe there's less shame in being different when everyone else comes from somewhere else too. With all this mixing between races, maybe one day all the cultures will be blurred together. One day, as my brother says, there will no longer be white, black, yellow...everyone's going to be a light brown! Considering all the violence and hatred that comes from racial tension, this may be a good thing. After all, the more you learn about a culture, the less prejudiced you become. And what better way to unite people than with a marriage?

P.S. I'm not going to allow comments on my posts anymore - almost all of you send me your feedback through e-mail anyhow. I just keep getting these "comments" from people trying to sell me Viagra, speed-reading books and other such useful things...

Oh Canada!

2005-11-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

Mountains have just opened in Vancouver! Woo hoo! I love this city...

Hold onto your hats!

2005-11-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Another blustery day on the island...

Sunny side up

2005-10-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

The sky was so stunning today, I had to abandon my coffee to get these shots from Mt. Tolmie. Well worth a little hike on a chilly October morning! That's the thing about living on the westcoast...you take advantage of every sunny day you get!

Some unexpected motivation

2005-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

As I was locking up my bike on campus today, I overheard a conversation between two students who had been out on the town last night. The girl asked her friend if he got the number of someone he was chatting up. He said, "Yeah...but then I found out she was THIRTY! You could never tell though...it was dark, and she was Asian." Undeniable proof that it's high time for me to hurry up, finish and get out of uni!

Another milestone

2005-10-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Gimme some of dat cake!!

Last week I turned the big three-oh. Everyone says it's just a number (everyone who is over 30 that is!), but it's a pretty big number, and I can't help but take a step back and look at how my life has been so far.

I certainly never planned to be living with my family, still finishing school! When I was younger, I always had a pretty good idea what I was going to be when I "grew up". Guess you can never really plan for the future...you never know where life will take you! I have absolutely no regrets though. Sometimes I do wish I hadn't gotten so serious so early in life...serious about school, serious about relationships. I've gone and done it all ass-backwards: grad school and living with a serious boyfriend, and then travelling the world and having fun! Which is why I'm still in school! OK, so I'm a little behind! Lots of people my age are going through the same thing though...this is what happens when the world has been opened up to you through the Internet and airplanes...too many choices.

I'm glad I've decided to come home. Living abroad is great because you can be whoever you want; there aren't any expectations of how you should behave, any memories of your past behaviour. You're almost more free to be yourself because no one knows you. You can re-invent yourself, but in doing so, it's pretty easy to forget who you were and where you came from. Granted, for some people, that's a good thing! But I think it's important to reconciliate the two. I may have picked up a lot of Japanese habits - even people in India were noticing those little quirks - but I can't forget that I'm Chinese and I'm Canadian (cue Molson beer commercial with a bunch of guys in baseball caps watching the hockey in the pub).

A happy boarder

2005-10-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I was up at 5 am to catch the ferry to Vancouver and left that afternoon. The occasion? Snowboard sale!! Woo hoo!

And if things weren't perfect enough, we were greeted by a pod of orcas on the way back. An excellent Thanksgiving!

2005-10-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

During our trip, Aggie and I often discussed the pros and cons of arranged marriage. Just think - no awkward first kisses, no blind dates...easy, right? After all, it's no different from being set up by your friends, only it's your parents who are playing Cupid. In India, arranged marriages are still quite common. And without all the delusions of romance, parents base their decisions on income, character and of course, family. As our guide said, if you buy a cow, you've got to look at its lineage. The question is, would you trust your parents?

If it were up to my dad, I'd be married with kids by now. Everyday he drops some kind of hint - "Pretty soon your mother will be too old to hold her grandkids" or "Your eggs are going to go bad" - about as subtle as a bowling ball. There are six of us on his side of the family who are still unmarried, and my dad and my aunt are getting a bit desparate. There's a great Chinese metaphor - my neck's getting long - to show how much you're looking forward to something. Well, my dad and aunt must be giraffes by now. Sometimes I wonder if I should just let them choose a nice Chinese boy for me and get it over with. At least then I'l have some peace!

2005-10-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

What better way to celebrate the fall harvest than by going to an Apple Festival on Saltspring Island?

2005-10-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Saltspring Island

2005-10-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

Moo! Visiting the cheese farms.

The last days of summer

2005-09-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my friends and I went to "Food Fare" in the Inner Harbour. Ah, life on the island...sampling all kinds of organic produce and chatting with farmers. The last sunny days of summer! A few days ago, the hanging baskets were taken down, signalling the beginning of fall. Now the rain and cold starts! I'll be missing the hot springs of Japan!

2005-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Slowly easing back into life again...good thing life on the island is really relaxed and laidback. I've had a couple of "oh-my-god-what-am-I-doing-back-here" days, but then I'll get a phone call from one of my friends and it reminds me how important it is to reconnect. It's weird sometimes being home - I'm confronted with my past everywhere I turn - but it's also good to remind myself where I came from. I do wonder though if I would be able to settle here...or anywhere! I admit, I hadn't been in the country more than a few days before looking up flights on the Net and planning trips! Sometimes I wonder about all this travelling - am I searching for something, or am I running away?

The long road home...

2005-09-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, this is it...the start of going back to the "real life". Obviously I have some real mixed feelings about going back to Canada and mostly back to school. I'm pretty nervous about returning to my studies; I've never been the most confident student, and now that I've taken a three-year break, I'm a bit frightened! Thankfully my TA position doesn't start until next term..the undergrads probably know more than me at the moment!

That being said, I don't regret the years I spent in Japan. Sure, it wasn't the best time to go, but I really needed to get away from my degree. I just felt that I needed to get my head out of the books and experience life! And what a wonderful experience it was.

Saying goodbye to people who live so far away from you is so hard...you never know when or if you'll meet again. Parting from the people I've met during my travels, particularly the people who were like my family in Japan, was one of the most difficult things I've had to do because I know what happens...inevitably, contact will become less and less frequent, dwindling to the obligatory annual Christmas card or occasional mass e-mail. The closeness will fade

People slip in and out of my life, some stay for only a short while, and some, forever. But each meeting is something special, because for that moment, we are together, sharing thoughts and laughter. In that brief time, it's just me and you.

Chillin' out in Chiang Mai

2005-09-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Have decided that the best way to beat the I-miss-India blues is by getting off my duff and to keep busy. I begin each day by going to a yoga class - a really nice way to start the day. Then I explore a bit. Yesterday I wandered into a wat (a Buddhist temple) and had a three-hour chat with one of the monks there. Everyday they have "monk chat", where you can learn about Buddhism and he can practise his English. The monk I talked to even taught me how to bargain in Thai! Today I rented a bicycle and braved the heavy traffic. It was fun to explore on a bike, instead of always having to wave down a tuk tuk. I had lunch at a Buddhist vegetarian place where you have to wash your own dishes. Even the king is not exempt - above the sinks there's a huge, framed picture of him, smiling and washing out his bowl! Then I rode out to one of the forest wats...really nice to escape the city for a while and listen to the monks chanting among the trees.

Chiang Mai is a really nice place...good shopping in the bazaars, and all the conveniences of a city, but it still has a small-town feel. The people are really friendly as well. The other day I got lost going back to my guesthouse and ended up hopping on the back of some guy's scooter (I seem to have gotten into the habit of getting on bikes of men I hardly know!) I know that isn't exactly the smartest thing to do, and believe me, I probably wouldn't do the same in Canada, but I was pretty sure he was a good guy.

I was going to go to Pai, but I heard there's lots of flooding there at the moment, so I think I'm just gonna stay put here. Besides, I finally ended up seeing the doctor about the burn on my leg, and I have to go back to the hopsital everyday so they can change the dressing. (The nurses know me by name now!) There's lots to see and do here, so I think the next few days will fly by and I'll be back in Canada before I know it.

Back in Bangkok

2005-09-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Bangkok - I'm sitting in an Internet cafe, surrounded by 13 year-olds playing video games. The goaty smell of teenage boys is stifling. It's weird to be back on my own again...I've gotten used to having someone to talk to all the time. It's a bit lonely! I'm sure I'll get used to it again. This is my fourth time to Thailand...and I don't remember it being so clean before! After the vibrant colour, chaos and noise of India, Bangkok seems very modern and a bit sterile in comparison. I can't get over how quiet and tame it seems! I miss India already!

Only eleven more days until I go back to Canada! It's hard to imagine living there again. To tell the truth, I'm feeling pretty nervous and apprehensive about it. I'm glad I have a bit of time alone to process all that has happened. What a rollercoaster it's been - leaving Japan, travelling in India - about as exciting and scary as a cab ride on the highways of Mumbai.

Back to real life

2005-09-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mumbai - My last day in India. I never expected it to be so hard to leave, but I've really fallen in love with this country. I've been here almost six weeks, but time has flown by and I feel like I've just scratched the surface. Right now there are drums and shouting and music as trucks go by carrying revellers and huge statues of Ganesh, the elephant-headed god. All this despite the heavy rain. The people here are irrepressible. I can't wait to come back.

My last day in Goa - went for my first motorcycle ride through the mountains and by the beach with this great guy, Zul, from Bangalore. The scenery was amazing and the ride was definitely one I won't forget...the burn on my leg will forever remind me! (Beware of the tailpipe!) Mumbai's been great too...saw some movies, did a little shopping, and ate some fantastic food. One of the most fun meals was the last one I had with Aggie...I decided that we should eat our meal with only our fingers (the cutlery challenge!)...and the food really did taste better! Eating rice is pretty messy work though!

Thanks Aggie for being stellar during the last month. Travelling together is a real test of friendship, and we had a few snags, but mostly it was an incredible unforgettable experience. I'm so glad we went through it all together. Meet ya back in India next year, ne! And Zul, I'm looking forward to our next journey...wherever the road leads.

Sun burn-out

2005-08-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

Day eight on the beach, and we're getting a little bored. There's only so much tanning and swimming and frisbee you can do! I know, I know, what a hard life. Don't get me wrong...the weather has been gorgeous. We are so lucky! But it's low season right now, and not much is open. We really wanted to do yoga but aside from a few restaurants and shops selling all the same sarongs, blankets and "handicraft crap", there isn't much here!

This weekend, we met up with Jessie, who was my roommate when I first arrived in Tokyo, and her friend last weekend and we headed to the beach in Baga. Within minutes of laying down our sarongs, there were about 50 men around us, staring and secretly trying to take photos of us! I'm glad we were staying in Vagator. Vagator was really laid-back; we really liked it there...friendly people and good organic food. In the season, it is supposed to be quite a party place, but it's pretty quiet now. We tried to find this party, and ended up in the middle of rice paddies on some dark dirt road with scary rabid dogs and dodgy men offering us cocaine and Ecstasy! We never did find it, but we heard from our local bartender the next morning that it was pretty fun.

Now Aggie and I have moved to Benaulim, in southern Goa, but it's not as good. The beach has white sand and swimming's good - so different from the black sands and rocky beach of Vagator. But the crowd here is older and less fun. Even though it's a bit more developed - timeshares and big hotels - there isn't much to do here. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm ready to go back to the city, even crazy Mumbai (Bombay)! Still, there is some excitement here...last night we ate at some little place, and while we were waiting for our 50-cent thali dinners, a mouse ran under the table! And this morning, between ordering my coffee and finishing my porridge, the waiter asked to be my "secret friend" and said he wanted to come to Canada with me! And if that wasn't enough, as we were walking along the beach, we saw a dead body!!! What am I going to do when I go home...Canada will seem so boring!!

Greetings from Goa

2005-08-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello from the sunny beaches of Goa! Finally the Intrepid tour ended and Aggie and I have some time to relax and breathe. The Intrepid tour was good - we had the opportunity to go to some really great places that we wouldn't have thought of going. Highlights include going to the opening night of a Bollywood blockbuster, dancing to the latest Hindi hits in Jaipur, going to some really small villages and meeting the people, staying in a beautiful castle and chilling with the king, and doing a camel safari at sunset. I even got to try on a sari and had henna done on my hands! But after two weeks, I was really tired of sight-seeing and running around, and am happy to stay put at the beach and do nothing!

We're in Vagator Beach at the moment. We had originally headed to Arambol, which was supposed to be more chill than the other places, but as it is off-season right now, it was more like a ghost town! Only two restaurants were open! Still, the beach was really lovely...soft black sand and palm trees. Arambol is a really nice little community as well - in the morning you can watch the local fishermen pull in their boats and at sunset, the little kids play cricket on the beach.

It's been one month since I came to India, and one month since I left Japan. I can hardly believe it! I'm so glad I decided to go somewhere completely different...I need some space in between Japan and going home, to get my head 'round things (and where better to do it than on the beach!)

Taj Mahavellous!

2005-08-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's been about five days since I've started the Intrepid Tour, and it's been non-stop. We're in the "Pink City" of Jaipur for the next two days, so finally I have a chance to breathe! Travelling with a group has been totally different - mostly, I don't have to worry so much about catching the right train or wondering where I'm going to sleep for the night.

We have done a lot of amazing things though - things Aggie and I probably wouldn't have thought of doing. After Delhi, we went to see the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra, which was amazing. The Taj is "stunning"...especially at when the sun goes down and the white marble reflects the colours of the sky. We also went to see some mosques, a bird sanctuary, and last night we stayed in an old fort! Yesterday was probably one of the highlights of the tour so far. We travelled to this tiny village and walked around, meeting all the kids and seeing the industries of the town. It was really amazing to see a small village...there were camels pulling carts of firewood, squealing pigs on the road, women in colourful saris balancing jugs of water on their heads, cobblers making traditional jooti shoes and peacocks flying in the sky. The entire town surrounded a fort that has been in the same family for over 400 years. It was given to them after a war and they are kind of the benefactors/landowners. It was an absolutely magical place, and we had dinner last night underneath the stars, listening to some local musicians. The family is really wonderful and warm, and their little daughter is a real charmer. If anyone is looking for a romantic place to get married, I definitely recommend here!

Personally I prefer travelling on my own or with a good friend rather than as a group. No matter where we go, we attract so much attention, just because we are a group of foreigners...I feel a bit like a travelling freak show! I normally don't like tours at all - most of the time, you are rushed through all the sights, and cooped up in the safe bubble of your hotel room or bus, without any contact with the world outside you. But Intrepid is definitely different, and I really like their policy of supporting local businesses and getting off the beaten path a bit. One thing that I've found really interesting is the idea of "responsible travel". It's a really important issue especially when travelling in a developing country like India, where there is so much poverty. One thing that is really difficult to see is all the beggars, especially the children and the ones who have disfigured limbs, even leprosy. It is hard to know what to do, because you don't want to encourage begging, but at the same time, you don't know what kind of social services are available.

Another problem is the tipping. We give our guide a set amount of money which he uses for tipping along the way, to make sure everyone gets an equal amount and to make sure there is no "over-tipping". At first, I couldn't get used to it, and always wanted to give more. After all, $1 is nothing to me, but it is so much for a rickshaw driver. However, the problem is, tourists have no idea what their money is worth in this country and will give way too much, thinking they are helping, but in fact, they are creating a lot of problems, including fostering greed and jealousy. The vendors and drivers start expecting more and more and they get more and more aggressive. For example, our cycle rickshaw driver at the sanctuary was very kind and knowledgeable, but at the end, when Aggie said "Shukriya" (thank-you), he said, "Shukriya only?" As people get more aggressive, tourists get more defensive, and feel like all Indians are only after their money and can't be trusted. We are currently in the state of Rajastan, the most touristed area in all of India, and the feelings are very different from the north. In northern India, it was much more relaxed, people were much friendlier, and I chatted to tons of local people. But here, I feel leery of anyone who even says hello! I am learning a lot on this trip about travelling. Too often travellers go into a country without thinking about the impact they make, when tourism has really changed the face of the world. Now that there are boats, trains and planes that go almost any corner in the world, we need to start thinking about how to travel as responsibly and respectfully as possible.

Talking in "In-glish"

2005-08-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

A definite highlight of this trip has been the random conversations I've had with people at the train stations, on the bus, at restaurants...People in India learn English starting from nursery school, so anyone who has gone through school has a pretty firm grasp of the language, except their usage is definitely "Indian". For example, instead of asking, "Where are you from?" they ask "What is the name of your country, please?" Even more confusing is their use of present progressive, "Where are you coming from?" I'm always wondering if they mean where did I just come from (like my hotel), where have I just been (the last city in India I visited), or where I'm from. I showed one person my pictures from the Golden Temple, and he kept laughing and saying "Very strange, very strange". I was really worried - had I taken some inappropriate pictures? But then he said, "I am thinking you must be a professional photographer. Wonderful." Only then I realized he didn't mean "strange" in a bad way. Most people aren't that shy about using English, even if it is just a little. One teenger said hi to me and asked me where I was from. When I tried to ask him some questions, he apologized for his "incomplete English" and walked away! Well, at least he made some effort! Wonder what it'd be like to teach English here...

It seems like a lot of people also want to know your age, your marital status and your religion. On the way from Amritsar to Delhi, I had a very interesting conversation with this Sikh man sitting next to me. Having just come from the Golden Temple, naturally I asked him all about his religion and he seemed to be very surprised that I didn't have a religion saying that is was "a very necessary thing" and that "there is no harm in it". He was even more surprised that at my age, I am not married yet, saying that "it was my duty to plan for my life". It was just like sitting next to my dad! Still, apparently I have "a good attitude" and I "will find a good husband"! (hah!)

anyhow, that's all from delhi for now. Met up with Aggie a couple days ago and am started in the Intrepid tour tonight. It'll be really different, going from solo to travelling with a small group, but I'll probably learn a lot. It's nice that we have a lot of free time as well. In a couple days we'll be going to Agra to see the Taj Mahal! Looking forward to getting OUT of sweaty Delhi...had my ass grabbed this morning!!! Definitely people from smaller towns are more sincere and kind, although Agra is quite touristy. Namaste.

Back to "real" India

2005-08-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

After the cool, rainy days in McLeod Ganj, it was a shock to be thrown back into the sauna that is the rest of India. Had a terrible bus trip to Pathankot...it was only three hours long, but was much more of an ordeal than the ten-hour ride from Shimla to Dharamsala, probably because the bus driver was a bit heavy-handed with his horn! Just imagine the constant blaring of the horn for 180 minutes! He didn't like anyone in front of him, so he would lean on the horn until the rickshaw/horse cart/car/truck got out of his way. Also, any person, animal or vehicle that happened to be on the road, got ample warning with more blasts of his horn. I was ready to thorw him out the window! So much for the inner peace I achieved in Dharamsala! With shattered nerves (and eardrums), I arrived in Pathankot, where I took the train to Amritsar.

Unfortunately I just missed the train by a few minutes, so I had to wait for a couple of hours. I felt a bit uncomfortable as everyone was staring at me (being the only non-Indian face there) and there were a lot of army people as well, this being very close to the India/Pakistan border. So, I sat in the "Ladies-waiting-room" (a brilliant idea!) and chatted with this lovely young college student from Varansai. She had just been to Jammu (in Kashmir) and gave me a bracelet for good luck, saying that she could never forget me! What a sweetheart. I wish I had brought photos to show people...they seem very interested in my family, Canada, and Japan.

The train ride was slow and hellish, and very uncomfortable. Again, I was the only non-Indian there, and so I was stared at a lot...every move I made was closely watched, and I felt self-conscious even taking a sip of water! Now I know how you non-Asian people felt in Japan! Unlike the Tibetans, they weren't friendly stares either, not a smile to be seen. Amritsar is a busy, noisy, hot city. Glad I'm leaving tomorrow (although it will be to Delhi, which is even MORE busy, noisy and hot!)

Today, I went to the Golden Temple, the most holy site for Sikhs. Lots of men in turbans of course...felt like I was back in Vancouver! ;) There are several temples actually, and the most famous one is the one gilded in gold, in the middle of a shimmering artificial lake. Really beautiful. The lake is considered to be holy, so lots of men were stripping to their boxers (or even to their birthday suits!) and bathing themselves. Inside the Golden Temple there were lots of people reading, praying, or just listening to the music and incantations.

The Sikh religion is quite interesting. I quite like how they accept everyone, regardless of creed, colour or caste. There is a huge dining hall where all the pilgrims sit and eat dahl and chapati together, for free. Anyone and everyone is welcome. You just line up and get your thali (a metal tray), and find a seat next to hundreds of others. Lots of people were very helpful, showing me how to make an offering, when to wash my feet and hands, offering me water. One gentleman showed me a few temples and explained his religion, spending a good hour with me. ( I think he really wanted me to convert though...he was telling me if I marry a Sikh man, I can change religions). Lots of people said hello and asked where I was from - everyone said Canada was a "great country", probably because there are so many Sikhs living there! And once people saw that I had a digital camera, they all wanted to have their pictures taken, so they could see themselves on the screen!

So ends my solo trip through India...meeting Aggie tomorrow in Delhi. I hadn't travelled by myself for a while now, and now I remember how much I love it. It is a totally different experience - things just feel so much more intense. Of course there are safety concerns too, especially being female, but all in all I quite meeting all sorts of people on the way and the freedom of travelling alone. Course, I'm sure Aggie and I will get up to all kinds of trouble together...;)

Tashi delig (Peace and good luck to you)

2005-08-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, three other ALTs and I have been doing yoga at my apartment, just from a few videos. Today I tried my first yoga class in India...and it was a bit of a shock! Instead of the gentle relaxing hour of stretching I had anticipated, I was struggling through an intense two-and-a-half hour class, complete with all kinds of handstands, headstands, crazy contortions and more downward-dog positions than you can possibly imagine! I'm afraid those Monday night sessions with our little Westside Yoga Club just didn't prepare me for the real thing! I was pretty self-conscious too, as I was placed right at the front, and the helper had to come over and fix my position for almost every move! Didn't help that he kept laughing at me...

After breakfast, this young Tibetan man stopped me in the street and asked to have a chat over tea. He told me some amazing stories about how he came to India...how he escaped at night and climbed over the mountains for about three weeks. He had very little food and for two days, there was no water...he told me how he would drink the little water he could find in the yaks' footprints. Of course he had to be so careful, often moving at night, with no flashlight, and even with a guide, sometimes his group got lost, and sometimes they were shot at and chased by the Chinese police. It's so tragic that the Chinese are still in Tibet, repressing the people and their religion. It makes me ashamed to be Chinese.

After tea, he took me to the temple and explained all sorts of things. I'm so glad he was there, because I wouldn't have understood the significance of it all. Watched monks chanting, and later on, the young monks gathered in the courtyard to debate. That was really cool to watch...they got into some quite heated arguments, and the air was full of the sound of clapping, which they do after finishing their retort. Khonchok, my new friend, used to be a monk, so he was able to tell me quite a lot.

McLeod Ganj is becoming more and more touristy...there is even a Baskin Robbins! Everywhere there are rich merchants whipping around in their flash cars, blasting their horns, money-hungry shopowners and loads of hippie Western tourists. But still there is something special in this little town in the middle of the mountains, and it is because of the Tibetan people. All of them are refugees, like Khonchok, and many of them have left their families behind. They have endured so many hardships, and yet they are still so peaceful and have no hatred in their hearts. Of all the people in this multi-cultural town, the Tibetan people have been the kindest, warmest and most welcoming. While I was shopping, many merchants tried to lure me into their shops, but the Tibetan people, mostly older ladies wearing their colourful aprons, just returned my smile and said hello. Before my yoga class, I happened to look into a kindergarten and there were lots of little Tibetan kids, dressed in their little scarlet sweaters, happily learning in their own language. What a shame they had to come all the way to India to do so.

2005-08-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Monks walking in the rain

2005-07-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hello from India! It has been a long time since my last post...it was a crazy, hectic time, leaving Japan, and I was a stressed-out, crying mess! It was really hard leaving my home of three years...my time in Japan has truly been a life-changing, wonderful experience. People in my town were so kind, many treated me like family, my friends were fantastic, and my students always made me laugh! Many things happened, some which were very hard to deal with, but I wouldn't change a thing. My only regret is that I left everything to the last minute (no surprise there!) and I feel I didn't have a chance to say goodbye properly. I'm glad I'm taking some time off to collect my thoughts in India.

Arrived very early in the morning in steamy Delhi on the 26th. I only spent a couple days there, as it was unbelievably hot and it was just exhausting dealing with all the touts and rickshaw-wallahs. Saw some beautiful gardens, temples and tombs, and wandered through the frenetic bazaars.

Moved on to Shimla a couple days later, a hill station where the British used to spend their summers. Had to take a couple trains, the last one being a "toy train" (single-gauge, whatever that means!). It was a tiny train indeed, very bad news for the backpackers who had huge bags! I think the Indian passengers had a good laugh watching us trying to stuff our packs somewhere and anywhere! Sat next to five very gallant young men from Delhi, who very nicely helped me with my bag, and bought me juice and snacks. We chatted about Indian pop music, my impressions of India, our jobs (they work at a call centre for companies like AT&T and Microsoft, so their English was flawless) , and they taught me some Hindi.

Shimla still retains quite a British air...Indian men sitting in coffee houses in their sweater vests, smoking pipes, mock Tudor storefronts, and adorable kids in their school uniforms. The kids are great, they all smiled and said hello to me, and obligingly posed for photos, giggling behind their hands. There is definitely an Indian presence in the bazaars...bolts of colourful sari fabric, pakoras sizzling in oil... Shimla is a populaur place for honeymooners and families from Delhi, so there is a carnival-like atmosphere - white ponies giving kids a ride through the square, cotton candy and bright balloons. Liked Shimla but there are definite bad points - aggressive monkeys, equally aggressive men, leering and yelling "sexy!" (WHAT men hope to accomplish with this, I have no idea!) and expensive hotels. I stayed at this one dingy place...at 1 am I turned on the light and the light exploded overhead!! I woke up the attendant who picked up a few shards of glass and said someone would come to pick up the rest in the morning!! I made him change rooms though, there was broken glass everywhere!

Then moved on to McLeod Ganj, which involved a ten hour ride on the rattling local bus. Beautiful scenery though...the green Himalayans, streams, and everything so fresh and green. Felt bad 'cause my pack wouldn't fit overhead so I was taking up two seats, but people were very understanding and some even offered to hold it on their laps! A very nice gentleman behind me helped me watch my bags when I used the toilet, told me about the passing sights, and even bought me some fresh coconut. This is what I love about southeast Asia, people are so kind and generous, sharing everything and helping each other out. Probably if someone offered me a snack on a bus in Canada, I would eye him with some suspicion! He wouldn't accept any snacks in return for his kindness either, waving his hand and saying, "It's such a small thing I do for you, please."

McLeod Ganj is a little village in the magnificent Himalayas and home to the Dalai Lama for the past 40 years. Lots of friendly Tibetan faces, weird to see so many people who look like me! And of course monks...I have to admit I am fascinated with Buddhist monks - they look so peaceful and serene and beautiful. I'm here for a couple days to relax...there all kinds of classes, like meditation, yoga, reiki, tabla, and Tibetan cooking, and there are lots of opportunities for short treks. I'm staying at a guesthouse run by a very nice Tibetan family, so I comfy and planning to rest well!

Next I am heading to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple, an important place for Sikhs, then back to Delhi to meet Aggie-chan and to start a new adventure! So all is well...loving India and all of its intense colours, tastes and smells, and all the beautiful, kind people. See you soon. Peace.

2005-05-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

Angkor Wat

2005-05-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

My dad's village

2005-05-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

My dad's old elementary school

2005-05-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

Offering roasted pig for ancestors - Dad's village in Enping province

2005-04-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Kung fu kapow!

2005-04-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Mom and dad

2005-04-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Incense in HK temple

Hectic Hong Kong

2005-04-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings from beautiful Hong Kong! Arrived a couple of days ago, and have just been taking in the sights and sounds of the city with my parents. Not really what I expected at all...kinda thought it would be a Chinese version of Tokyo, but it is DEFINITELY Chinese! Kinda weird as I can understand a lot and in a way it feels kind of familiar but maybe I've been in Japan too long...the differences between the two cultures are very striking and I feel a bit out of place!

towering high rises
bustling dockyards
double-decker buses rounding the corner
orchids for sale
chess players in the gardens
whiff of durian on the street

roast duck hanging in the shop window
subway rumbling underneath
bamboo steamers
dim sum for lunch

Sumo madness!

2005-04-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

As promised - sumo pics! I was lucky enough to go to the final day of the Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on March 27th. Sitting up in the nosebleed seats, drinking beer, eating peanuts, watching big, sweaty, near naked men wrestle...does life get any better than this? (^_^) (Oh yeah, a big shout out to Jon who magically fixed my computer...thanks a mil!)

2005-04-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

An amateur buys lunch at the convenience store...no frills for these guys!

2005-04-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

Otsukare! An amateur finishes for the day

2005-04-02T05:21:00.000-08:00

A judge watches a match between two young wrestlers

2005-04-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

Su-moozing with the big wigs

2005-04-02T05:16:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for the fiight

2005-04-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

Throwing salt into the ring