The weather has been pretty good these past few weeks, I've got to go out and test my new snow shoes a few times. I highly recommend any kind of snow shoe that has a metal pivot for your foot, and a huge claw attached to the bottom. Climbing any sort of incline in traditional snowshoes is pretty much impossible, but these claws sort of make me realize that humans are really missing out. The things I could do if I had bear claws!
Here are some pictures from one of our days out.
Also, doilies! I tend to really get into doilies, but upon their completion hold them up and think,"Huh.... Now what." Because really, what do you do with them? I have recently discovered though, that through Google Picasa you can browse public albums which just happen to be entire crochet books scanned helpfully by someone across the world. If you know the name of a specific book, I'm nearly positive that it will be there. Professional patterns have never been so awesome, or so free.
Somehow over the course of 8 months I've watched more MMA fights than I even dreamed possible. Watching meatheads pound the living shit out of eachother has really grown on me. Hopefully its not making me more violent or agressive.
After learning the ins and outs of what different fight organizations are like, I've really come to appreciate the Japanese ones. The new defunct Pride organization being my all-time favorite. Pride didn't have any rules! It was great! But unfortunatly UFC bought them out, and now you aren't allowed to soccer kick people in the head when they are on the ground. Sigh... the good old days.
Anyway. This entry is about my dream job - being a great MMA announcer. I usually get way more excited about a good announcer than the idiots trying to kill eachother in the ring. Mike Buffer (who works UFC events) is probably the voice you think of when you think of fight announcers. A la:
He's pretty damn good I'd say. But he is a guy, and this kind of job is pretty hard for girls. Mainly because women nearly always get stuck being scantily clad ring girls who probably have two brain cells but just happen to have a nice bikini body. Also, and not to be sexist here, but women generally just don't have that kind of voice.
But Lenne Hardt. She is one hell of an announcer. She works primarily with Japanese organizations, so I assumed that she was some super sweet Japanese woman. But last week, for the first time in 8 months, we watched a fight that showed her announcing! Just look at her!
Listen to her in all her glory!
I want more than anything in life to email her and ask her to take me under her wing. A dream!
And just for the record, check out this glamour shot of her!
I'm going to take a huge assumption, and decide that many of you have either seen or heard about the documentary Jesus Camp (2006). Ironically, one of the least assuming but also most powerful documentaries on the evangelical, fundamentalist Christian right in America. It lets the pastors, children and bible camp activities speak for themselves, which portrays more powerful ideas than overlaying the film with a voice over, or leftist interviews.
In any case, I watched it (and was shocked by it) again with my roommate recently. He has never seen it, and growing up in a Baha'i family, really didn't know this section of society existed. He was stunned. So stunned that he began investigating his own faith, and subsequently so did I. We spent hours on wikipedia examining the Baha'i religion and not being in anyway religious myself, I was blown away.
I found many aspects of it different and appealing.
"Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the world's religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed
Meaning, it sees the nine world religions stemming from Prophets (ie: Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna, Buddha etc) as steps towards a better understanding of God."
Also, I found the 12 Social Principles pretty interesting....
Unity of God Unity of religion Unity of humankind Equality between men and women Elimination of all forms of prejudice World peace Harmony of religion and science Independent investigation of truth Universal compulsory education Universal auxiliary language Obedience to government and non-involvement in partisan politics Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
I'm also in love with their temples....
Most of Bahia's progressive and interesting bits are largely due to the fact it hasn't pushed 200 years old. Hasn't really had time to branch out, evolve, diverge etc.. to aquire any of the weird bits other religions tend to have. There are a few unfortunate parts though, like the focus on marriage being between a man and woman and a few other bits about homosexuality. Not saying that this mentality is necessarily followed by any Baha'i's I know, its just unfortunate they are there in scripture. In any case my roommate is going to take me to a Baha'i community event so I can get the full effect and see just how awesome it is.
I have nearly my entire trip booked now, a big relief. There were some highs and lows during this process. The lows mainly being that I am no longer taking an epic train journey accross Canada. I just cannot afford well over $1000 for four days of my life. The highs? I got a sweet flight instead! At a fraction of a fraction of the cost.
I'm going to have to get my travel agent a mighty fine gift while I'm away.
Other ways I'm saving money?
For starters everyone who travels and is at all social should sign up for Couchsurfers. If you haven't heard of it is one of the most amazing ways to really be immersed into the place you're visiting. The premise is pretty simple: sign up and state whether or not you have a couch availible for strangers (not a requirement mind you). The next time you travel you simply have to search for your destination (even Iraq, if you're adventurous) and Ta Da you have a free place to stay!
Its actually pretty safe as well (considering). Couchsurfers always leave references for their visitors and hosts, and obviously creeps get banned, and you never stay with someone who has a bad reference. Women can easily stay with other women too. If you are uncomfortable staying on someones couch - many people have a full bedroom! (One of my favorite surfers, I took him along to a music festival...and we found a couch!)
I've never surfed, but I've hosted many, many lovely people. Having said that I've only ever hosted someone who I wished I hadn't. He wasn't at all dangerous, he just really was lacking in the social skill department, told me many details of his life I never needed to know.
I've been using it to line up places to stay at strategic times and locations all over Southeast Asia. I've also joined a Travel Buddy Indonesia group, which is helping me meet Indonesians with the same travel goals as me.
And just for the record: I'm excited to swim with these guys again. Ko Jum - Here I come!
Something went wrong in the mysterious world of codes and html and my previously very nice and fancy blog template get royally messed up.
Originally I was going to cancel everything - forget about blogging, and sink into vast recesses of the Internet - but some people have told me they actually read this thing.
Now, while I figure out codes and voodoo, I'll leave it pretty plain.
I'll be back later with a real post. Now that I've got more initiative.
While you wait, please enjoy some lovely Christmas photos that my friends and I took. We waited until Santa was off-duty at the mall and then raided his little house.
So I went to Victoria, like I said, and I did eat at The Noodle Box. It was very delicious I promise. I also got to spend some quality time with an entire side of my family that I never see. This included a family reunion with 18 participants.
Some highlights:
- going on a short hike to the top of Mount Erskine with a few cousins, my parents and some aunts and uncles, getting lost on the way back, hilarity, stumbling home four hours later. - my uncle getting a rainbow pottery rock cod fish from his brother on the west coast and my mother on the east coast. Hilarity. My grandfather looking around the table and proclaiming, "This is why the call me the cod father." - A wonderful dinner with my granny at a pub called the Canoe, getting 'the Fleet' which consisted of 6 different beers and splitting them all with her. - Spending a lovely evening with my cousin, drinking homemade apple cider with his friends, enjoying the Fantastic Mr. Fox (which all of you should go see! Its a Cluster Cuss!)
A family tale through photos:
My Dad, on the way to Salt Spring, Cod Father! Mount Erskine, Family,
I promise! I was away in beautiful Brittish Columbia for a week, and collecting myself over these past few days. I have pictures coming of course - of my trip and of my doilies. Christmas would not be the same without snowflake doilies.
So stay tuned - until about 5:00 Atlantic time when I get my act together.
Until then, please enjoy my my not so strict tradition of Tuesday's with Indonesia and I will share with you my new discoveries.
First of all: Indonesia is a go! I have finally booked my tickets through my grandmother's 'magic' travel agent, who definitly had some kind of sorcery going on to get me these prices. Flying out of Vancouver March 2 (after I train accross Canada) to Bangkok. I have no idea what I'll be doing and where I'll end up in Thailand but my goal is to be in Jakarta two weeks later. I fly out of Jakarta and back to the love of my life April 18th.
I have had to narrow down where I want to be in Indonesia, and I think Sulawesi will be my main destination. This area includes the Togean Islands. Which among other things include a couple dozen tiny islands to explore, and apparently beautifully deserted beaches. They also are home to this beast: the coconut crab. I am attracted to these islands (more than the multiple other islands that have pristine beaches and barely there tourist industry) mostly because they have 'deserted resorts' and volcano islands that I could easily wander around and have some misadventures in. Finally, I am looking into volunteering somewhere. As I am not too keen on Englishteaching (which tends to be the primary focus of many 'community development' programs...) I have been trying to find environmental organizations to help out. I originally wanted to wwoofbut that seems nearly impossible given there is no national wwoofing organization.
But I found the Indonesian Wildlife Rescue (which happily operates out of northern Sulawesi). For a international volunteer program, its actually pretty inexpensive, and they clearly state how they use your donation. It seems like a pretty excellent option - I'll get to look after (aka shoveling shit)some beautiful animals...
I made this hat. It was supposed to be slouchy, but I never really listen to yarn size and thus, it turned into a beanie. In the end I re-did it, trying to alter the pattern in an attempt to make it more slouchy - but it was even uglier. So I gave it away.
I also found a bunch of really old dried up red peppers in the back of my fridge. I decided I'd try to plant them and see what happened. This is what happened! Now mind you we haven't gotten any peppers yet, but nearly all the seeds sprouted into nice, spicy, little plants.
Also, Jean Poutine, my kitty, is going to be little forever! Thank you crack house upstairs! The vet told me that because he had what you might call a deprived childhood he is stunted!
A dream come true - really. Although the vet did give me a funny look when I said that.
So this may be a little different than what I've been posting on here (Indonesia. Indonesia. Indonesia.) And I would be posting about the Indonesian Togean Islands right now but I couldn't find the pictures I wanted (to steal) and got fed up with the whole idea.
I haven't been posting many crafting things either - I'll get to that I promise.
In anycase, my friend Maria came over last night to take pictures of me. Since she is a 3rd year photography student, and I am nearly always around, I tend to be called on to be a 'model' a lot. In fact people who work at the Craft College stop me and say "Are you that girl from the City Hall exhibition?" or "Do you know Maria?"
I'm not saying I'm any good at it, I'm just saying I'm in a lot of photos. Maria is really whats awesome about these photographs, and I thought I'd share some of her talent on here.
I'd give you here website or something, but she doesn't have one.
(Now I'd like to point out I was wearing a top here - I can't explain where it went in this picture. But I was wearing it for sure)
I did a nude-y photoshoot with her too. Not really scandalous at all. But I don't want those pictures out there so much on the internet at large. Not that I'm showing anything other than my back and bit of crack (not even my face!). My mother always said, "Never take photographic images of you naked or doing drugs" and considering all the scandals out there lately I think thats really good advice. Thanks mom! I'll appreciate it when I'm president!
I'm going on a little trip with my family in late November, to my favorite city on the West Coast - Victoria, BC!
All I have been thinking of (I mean besides seeing all my relatives...) is The Noodle Box. I just want a stomach filled with multi-culturally influenced Asian food as soon as possible. The end of November is too far away. I have a ridiculous plan to stuff my face at least once, and to bring at least 3 take out boxes home with me as carry on. Is that even allowed? I've seen people bring live lobster... so I assume I'll be able to bring dead (but delicious) noodle boxes.
I blame this obsession on watching an unhealthy amount of Top Chef.
These are the three menu items I've already started drooling over:
SPICY PEANUT BOX (available with rice) Indonesian style peanut sauce, wok fried with peppers, Asian greens, crushed peanuts, herbs, sprouts, coconut milk and lime on ribbon noodles. NOODLE BOX CHILI PLUM (available with rice) Hokkein noodles, wok fried with peppers, Asian greens, sprouts, and green onion, tossed in our own sweet chilli plum sauce. CAMBODIAN JUNGLE CURRY (available with rice) Spicy curry broth with rice noodles, simmered with ginger, mushrooms, peppers, asian greens, sprouts and finished with mango, herbs and lime.
As a side note, my grandmother house is beside this beautiful ravine. Last time my family went for a little visit it was in the spring... so here is a little picture I found of my dad in the BC jungle.
Tuesday's with Indonesia is brought to you by Komodo Dragons, found on Rinca, Western Flores and of course, Komodo Island.
(landscapes from Komodo)
Nowadays Komodo National Park is considered one of Indonesia's main attractions - I mean who could really pass up the opportunity to visit a dragon. But from the available information the government and park have taken amazing precautions about dragon oriented tourism. Yeah!
I love David Attenborough quite a bit, you know the old grandfather voice-over on every BBC nature documentary that's been made in the past 60 years. That's the man. Way Way Way back when, around the time that Indonesia was still probably thought of as native backwaters, the BBC and Attenborough actually went to Komodo Island. Traveling wasn't quite as easy back then and the "Zoo Quest" series they were filming led Attenborough into a few harrowing situations.
Attenborough tells of danger on the crew's hazardous boat trip with a gun-smuggling captain and the terror of erupting volcanoes. He also depicts for the listener some of the incredible sights he and his team witnessed - breathtaking butterflies, taking tea with Charlie the orang-utan and the the voyage to the little-known island of Komodo to capture the elusive Komodo Dragon. David Attenborough's early adventures are sometimes life-threatening, often hilarious and always totally absorbing.
Excellent. If I end up in these islands - expect to see me galloping around with a herd of Dragons.
On another strange note:
I'm pretty sure I have a very mild form of Textophobia - the persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of certain fabrics. I really really really cannot stand touching felt, the fabric on the ceilings of cars, fleece and increasingly cotton.
Lately I've been folding laundry or making my bed and constantly want to clench my teeth, moisturize my hands, and resist the urge to shiver. Although I am not afraid of these fabrics - I definitely don't want to touch them. Strange for someone who is making a quilt, likes to felt, and is currently crocheting with wool.
If you can image nails on a chalkboard, scraping your fork against a plate.... this is what I experience with felt. My mother has told me I didn't even like doing crafts with felt when I was little.
I hope it stops freaking me out, and starts to lessen. What if I can only surround my self with silks in the future!?
I joined swap-bot awhile ago, because I am pretty cheesy and really like to get snail mail. If you haven't heard about it, its a place for people to join/create swaps which can be either electronic (and boring!) or postal. Its got a strange rating system to make sure all packages are sent and on time - but I guess thats a good thing even if its way more nerdy.
So far I've joined two swaps and gotten 2 awesome packages in the mail. I was supposed to get three - but I'll cross my fingers and hope my partner isn't being a lame dropout. I think I'm going to find another one, because I got some really awesome stuff. And I also understand what other people will expect from me and what equals an awesome package.
Anyway - one of the swaps was based around colours: ie - send your partners something yellow, something black, something green, something red etc.
I sent a tiny heart I had hand felted to a lady in Lithuania and she jazzed it up a little bit. I thought I'd share our handiwork - although the creative bits are definitely hers <3
This weekend was lovely. My friend Kristen celebrated her 23rd birthday with a mini road trip to New River Beach, which isn't exactly a warm beach in the summer let alone at this time of year - but it is always beautiful.
We spent the day chucking rocks at other rocks, picking up rocks and looking underneath, and climbing rocks. Really it was fantastic. The best game ever was chucking rocks and seeing them break open against bigger rocks. They bounced like little 25 cent bouncy balls. Nothing is better then a picnic on a lonely beach with friends, fire, and beers.
I found a really good buoy (man if fucking smells) under a huge beach rock. It was at a weird angle where you probably couldn't see it from 99% of the surrounding rocks so good thing I was exploring. Its now (smell or no smell) living in my kitchen. What the hell do you do with a yellow and green buoy (and a boy with an 80's rude cool fleece)?
I also figured out my timer and took some excellent group shots
Indonesia stop shaking around like this! Soon you'll fall apart and I'll never be able to visit your beautiful country.
My heart goes out to those on Sumatra,
I hope my new friend is doing okay. Aditya!? tell me your okay and your family is too.
South Pacific is getting pretty shaken up lately - a morbid part of me wonders about any connections. There is obviously some very alrge shift happening under the pacific. I can't imagine an earth quake, or a tsunami. I am worried about all the familes and people at their epicentres something tells me that it'll far more difficult for them to recover than if it happened here. I'm coming Sumatra! I'll be there to help!
Oh no, I'm on the Limerick train too! I have decided that this week I'm going to get the students I work with to write poetry about their selected paintings.
I don't really have a lot of experience teaching highschool kids, so I usually work on an exercise and then practice it myself... to see it if makes any sense at all.
I think I'm going to get them to brainstorm a list of words inspired by their painting, write a few metaphors about it, and then transform those words and metaphors into an extended metaphor poem.
Also, as a bonus, I'm going to get them to write some limericks! HA!
Here is my version of the exercise:
H.M. King Edward VIII by Walter Sickert
Brainstorm: afraid, nervous, awkward, royal, young, avoidance, fading into the background, slim, hiding, etc
Extended metaphor poem:
Avoiding his duties, Red Prince More likely to melt Back into the crowd Nervous and Vacant The people await To hear from their prince Their Charming son
A mouse to rule a country. None to committed to his duties. Would prefer a hole in a wall To this. A quiet crumb To the elephant to come. Hiding behind his crown Mom, I don’t want to. But you must - You must.
Limericks:
The young Prince was running away With this crowd he did not want to play They were throwing bad fruit Glitter and disco to boot, All because they thought he was gay.
Dear sir with the big black bear hat I was talking with your young sister pat She had seen you up town Smearing it all over with brown Which is gross, you dirty bottomed prat.
I am a sucker for free things, even a chance at free things.
The Red Deer is having a little giveaway over on her blog. She has teamed up with Cute.n.boot to help everyone out with their penpal needs. Both my time traveling and working with Children's International Summer Villages, I have aquired a pocket full of penpals and I think having cards would actually make me sit down and write them all for once. Usually I sit around and feel guilty about it.
I really enjoy her artistic style, Cute.n.boot you could definitely sell some prints! This polaroid one would look excellent on so many hipsters walls. Think of it!
In anycase go over to see and enter the giveaway! (Come on little zoe! Pick my name!)
I think I might buy this one (even if I don't win) - because its too cute to be vulgar.
