Still the first to arrive. Not always the last to leave now...
One of the best things about this new phase in my life is the walking. I walk for about 40-45 minutes (it was more like an hour in the first week, when I spent more time poking my head into gaps in the bushes to see what was inside). My walk takes me from the Mt. Pleasant area of Vancouver, down past Science World, along False Creek, and up past B.C. Place to the school. Along the way, I see all kinds of beautiful things, especially in the pink and blue morning light. Patterns are beginning to emerge. When I start out, I make my way through the suburban areas with a mind to take in as much autumn foliage as I can-- I kick through the yellow leaves, and try to make eye contact with the busy walking and biking commuters. I look into people's mossy gardens, and pick out things I like; painted rocks, sunflowers soggy with frost, craggy boulders strategically placed.
There are nutty homeless people, and straight-faced hip urbanites, bustling through exercise routines, all decked out in LuLu Lemon. I see the same guy every other morning with his black dog, rummaging through the Science World garbage bin. There is a guy on a bike that always seems to go by me at the same point on the path. He always wears a red-and-black striped sweater that reminds me of the one that my friend Billy used to wear in high school. There is the same pack of crows along False Creek every morning, preening each other and screaming and searching through discarded McDonald's sacks. When no-one is close by, I try to speak to them in their language. Whenever one looks at me quizzically and fly away, I wonder: did I just say something offensive? Or did I just give her a command, and she is flying off to follow through?
I find this interesting about city people: they will almost never look you full in the face. If you catch them doing so, and toss them a smile, they quickly look away as though it was all a mistake. Only the buskers and the street people will try to catch an eye. Maybe that’s why everyone else looks away; if you make a connection, something will be expected of you. I know it’s not much—but couldn’t a smile be enough? I’m going to start the Vancouver Smile Revolution. I’m going to shine my beautiful fangs at EVERYBODY, whether they like it or not!
Almost time for class.
XXX LOVE and BIG VANCOUVER SMILES TO YOU
Namaste
Endrené
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
I just roughly calculated how much time I have spent at class or studying in the last five days. About... 70 hours. The janitor actually asked me to turn out the lights when I left one evening, as he got fed up waiting for me to go. I'm the last student here again tonight, which I think is developing into my 'role'... first to arrive, last to leave. Not such a bad role to play.
I suppose.
I cried in class today. This stuff is INTENSE. I didn't know that there was SO MUCH that I didn't know about the English language. I seriously regret not committing all of the verb tenses to memory before starting this course.
Shall I fill you in?
I’m taking the CELTA course at Global Village in Vancouver. It’s a high-speed wham-bam of a course, aimed at getting me certified to teach English as a second language to adult learners. That’s the gist of it. I think I might have already mentioned as much… I had no idea HOW crazy it was going to be. It’s crazy. CRAZY-crazy. And wonderful. I won’t regret a minute of it when I am a teacher, of that I’m certain. Even the crying part will serve its purpose.
There are ten of us taking this course together; most of us are Canadian, though there’s an American guy that we tease every time he says ‘copy’ or ‘roof’ or ‘college’ (I suppose we’re getting back on behalf of all those Canadians out there who have been hassled for their ‘eh’s’), and a girl from… Israel, I believe? and another girl who grew up in India but who lives in Canada now. Should that be ‘whom lives in Canada now’? Good Lord, I’ve got a grammatical conscience. Yikes.
There is a TESOL course being taught simultaneously in our department; this course is for non-native speakers of English who think they might like to teach English in their home countries. The students are all Korean or Japanese. I spend more time talking with them during the breaks than I do with my own classmates. I guess it’s partly because most of my classmates are constantly oozing panicked anxiety, and I keep unintentionally sponging it up. The TESOL students aren’t studying at the same frenetic pace, and therefore seem to be a little more laid-back and cheery. They certainly don’t whine as much as my classmates do. Could be a cultural thing, too.
I’m living in Vancouver now, with my friend’s friend, Pat. Though now I think I can claim him genuinely as my friend as well. Last night I went to FRIGHT NIGHT with him and his four friends, and brought Akihiro (one of the TESOL students) along. It was crazy-busy; today turned out to be a Pro-D day, so every boogermuncher in Vancouver was whooping it up at the PNE last night. We waited nearly two hours in line for one haunted house which turned out to be painfully lame. I felt really bad for Aki, who was a good sport about it. But we soldiered on; after 10:30 pm the crowd began to thin a bit and we managed to get a couple of rides in (one on the Corkscrew coaster and one on the Crazy Beach Party ride) and we went through the Toxic Nightmare haunted house, which was pretty creepy. Sufficiently creepy anyway—Aki just about had a heart attack at one point when some costumed madman leapt out at him! There were some really neat costumed creepers zombie-ing around the park… a ‘dead’ couple, an insane clown posse, spooky stilt-walkers, etc. They would just kind of smoothly saunter up to people who weren’t paying attention and scare the crap out of them; I could usually tell where they were by the screams. Although one of the sinister clowns got me good while I was zoning out in the line-up for the Crazy Beach. He appeared out of nowhere and suddenly yelled “BONJOUR!” in my face in his scary clown voice. Predictably, I shrieked. Aki was disturbed that he didn’t say “Bonsoire,” seeing that it was the evening.
Anyway. That was last night. I paid for my late night of fun with tears in class today… I don’t foresee going out on weeknights for the rest of the duration of this course!
I’ll try to write whenever I can grab a few free moments, though it seems unlikely at this stage in the game. Know this: I love this course. It’s exhausting, but it is SO rewarding. If you think of me, send me some good vibes, I could use them! (Thank you, in advance!)
Namaste
Endrene
I suppose.
I cried in class today. This stuff is INTENSE. I didn't know that there was SO MUCH that I didn't know about the English language. I seriously regret not committing all of the verb tenses to memory before starting this course.
Shall I fill you in?
I’m taking the CELTA course at Global Village in Vancouver. It’s a high-speed wham-bam of a course, aimed at getting me certified to teach English as a second language to adult learners. That’s the gist of it. I think I might have already mentioned as much… I had no idea HOW crazy it was going to be. It’s crazy. CRAZY-crazy. And wonderful. I won’t regret a minute of it when I am a teacher, of that I’m certain. Even the crying part will serve its purpose.
There are ten of us taking this course together; most of us are Canadian, though there’s an American guy that we tease every time he says ‘copy’ or ‘roof’ or ‘college’ (I suppose we’re getting back on behalf of all those Canadians out there who have been hassled for their ‘eh’s’), and a girl from… Israel, I believe? and another girl who grew up in India but who lives in Canada now. Should that be ‘whom lives in Canada now’? Good Lord, I’ve got a grammatical conscience. Yikes.
There is a TESOL course being taught simultaneously in our department; this course is for non-native speakers of English who think they might like to teach English in their home countries. The students are all Korean or Japanese. I spend more time talking with them during the breaks than I do with my own classmates. I guess it’s partly because most of my classmates are constantly oozing panicked anxiety, and I keep unintentionally sponging it up. The TESOL students aren’t studying at the same frenetic pace, and therefore seem to be a little more laid-back and cheery. They certainly don’t whine as much as my classmates do. Could be a cultural thing, too.
I’m living in Vancouver now, with my friend’s friend, Pat. Though now I think I can claim him genuinely as my friend as well. Last night I went to FRIGHT NIGHT with him and his four friends, and brought Akihiro (one of the TESOL students) along. It was crazy-busy; today turned out to be a Pro-D day, so every boogermuncher in Vancouver was whooping it up at the PNE last night. We waited nearly two hours in line for one haunted house which turned out to be painfully lame. I felt really bad for Aki, who was a good sport about it. But we soldiered on; after 10:30 pm the crowd began to thin a bit and we managed to get a couple of rides in (one on the Corkscrew coaster and one on the Crazy Beach Party ride) and we went through the Toxic Nightmare haunted house, which was pretty creepy. Sufficiently creepy anyway—Aki just about had a heart attack at one point when some costumed madman leapt out at him! There were some really neat costumed creepers zombie-ing around the park… a ‘dead’ couple, an insane clown posse, spooky stilt-walkers, etc. They would just kind of smoothly saunter up to people who weren’t paying attention and scare the crap out of them; I could usually tell where they were by the screams. Although one of the sinister clowns got me good while I was zoning out in the line-up for the Crazy Beach. He appeared out of nowhere and suddenly yelled “BONJOUR!” in my face in his scary clown voice. Predictably, I shrieked. Aki was disturbed that he didn’t say “Bonsoire,” seeing that it was the evening.
Anyway. That was last night. I paid for my late night of fun with tears in class today… I don’t foresee going out on weeknights for the rest of the duration of this course!
I’ll try to write whenever I can grab a few free moments, though it seems unlikely at this stage in the game. Know this: I love this course. It’s exhausting, but it is SO rewarding. If you think of me, send me some good vibes, I could use them! (Thank you, in advance!)
Namaste
Endrene
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I have been lucky to have been pretty healthy for the past year. I caught a wussy little head cold, (probably at the voting venue) and now I feel like crap. Well, high-grade crap, comparatively. I guess it’s good to get sick once in a while, to be humbled by a germ, and to feel a renewed sense of compassion for those who suffer more than I do.
Shouldn’t have done all of that wild naked moondancing last night.
Just kidding.
This makes me remember something from when I was learning how to use the archaic point-of-sale system at Opus. Chakara was explaining everything to me and the other trainee very diligently, and I was absorbing as much as I could. But at one point my brain hit that ‘full’ point, where all the knowledge sort of hits the side of my head, and denied entry to my ears, dribbles down my face like so much egg yolk. I must have looked gappy, because Chakara asked, “you OK?” and I replied, “I’m OK. I think I just need a hug and a nap.” (Chakara obliged me with a hug—so sweet of her!—but the nap had to be put off until a later time.)
Anyway, that’s kind of how I feel now, like all I could really use is a hug and a nap. My brain is full of modal auxiliary verbs and mucus… but I only have three days left at A-1 Pallet, and so much to do. POWER UP, Endrené! Write that manual! Fill out that two-week review form! Revise that training checklist! You can do it! Kachaaaaaa!
Good health and big warm hugs and nice cozy naps are wished for all of you.
Namaste,
Endrené
Shouldn’t have done all of that wild naked moondancing last night.
Just kidding.
This makes me remember something from when I was learning how to use the archaic point-of-sale system at Opus. Chakara was explaining everything to me and the other trainee very diligently, and I was absorbing as much as I could. But at one point my brain hit that ‘full’ point, where all the knowledge sort of hits the side of my head, and denied entry to my ears, dribbles down my face like so much egg yolk. I must have looked gappy, because Chakara asked, “you OK?” and I replied, “I’m OK. I think I just need a hug and a nap.” (Chakara obliged me with a hug—so sweet of her!—but the nap had to be put off until a later time.)
Anyway, that’s kind of how I feel now, like all I could really use is a hug and a nap. My brain is full of modal auxiliary verbs and mucus… but I only have three days left at A-1 Pallet, and so much to do. POWER UP, Endrené! Write that manual! Fill out that two-week review form! Revise that training checklist! You can do it! Kachaaaaaa!
Good health and big warm hugs and nice cozy naps are wished for all of you.
Namaste,
Endrené
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Less than a week left at A-1 Pallet now. I’m tying up loose ends as best I can, trying to make things tidy and functional for Juwll and Sarah in the office so that it’s not too hard for them when I go. I don’t think it will be too difficult; if there’s one thing I’ve learned here, it’s that everyone is replaceable. I shouldn’t ever flatter myself that I am the ‘only one’ that can get any particular job done. Besides, if we all thought like, that, we’d all be stuck in jobs we hate, out of twisted loyalty and bitter pride.
(If any of you reading this just thought, “hey, that’s me,” I give you permission to find something you like better and quit your current job. The only thing you ‘owe’ to the world is your happiest, most functional self. Don’t just do what you can do. Do what you love.)
A few people are asking me what I plan to do once I’ve completed the CELTA program, where I plan to go. The truth is, I’m not sure. Right now, it’s just good to be taking the plunge and be going back to school. I’ve been plowing through the pretask, and now have a feeble grasp on verb tenses… did you know that there was such a thing as a perfect progressive past tense? I didn’t either, until last night.
I’m going to live with my friend Pat in Vancouver. I talked to him on the phone last night, and realized that I haven’t heard his voice in two years, and I’ve probably only met him three times… so it’s really openhearted of him to allow a relative stranger to move in to his apartment for a month. He’s warned me about the potential for mice (no big deal) and mess (also no big deal), I’m just wondering if there’s anything I should warn him about… maybe that green peppers make me gassy? Nathan is alright with the arrangement, and Pat has made it clear that Nathan is welcome to stay whenever as well. It’s altogether an astoundingly copasetic arrangement. Thank you, Universe! Buddha! God, or whoever/whatever! Thank you, Pat! Thank you, Global Village Vancouver! Life is good.
The power was out for a few hours at work, and it’s just now come back on. I think there was an accident down the highway involving a power pole… I could continue working, but everyone else in the office has cleared out, and I don’t believe in getting paid for slacking. I’ll hit the trail myself pretty soon. I’ll go vote. It’s election day… hooray! And just remember… if you DON’T vote, you’re not allowed to complain about the government. Sorry, but not voting is not cool.
(If any of you reading this just thought, “hey, that’s me,” I give you permission to find something you like better and quit your current job. The only thing you ‘owe’ to the world is your happiest, most functional self. Don’t just do what you can do. Do what you love.)
A few people are asking me what I plan to do once I’ve completed the CELTA program, where I plan to go. The truth is, I’m not sure. Right now, it’s just good to be taking the plunge and be going back to school. I’ve been plowing through the pretask, and now have a feeble grasp on verb tenses… did you know that there was such a thing as a perfect progressive past tense? I didn’t either, until last night.
I’m going to live with my friend Pat in Vancouver. I talked to him on the phone last night, and realized that I haven’t heard his voice in two years, and I’ve probably only met him three times… so it’s really openhearted of him to allow a relative stranger to move in to his apartment for a month. He’s warned me about the potential for mice (no big deal) and mess (also no big deal), I’m just wondering if there’s anything I should warn him about… maybe that green peppers make me gassy? Nathan is alright with the arrangement, and Pat has made it clear that Nathan is welcome to stay whenever as well. It’s altogether an astoundingly copasetic arrangement. Thank you, Universe! Buddha! God, or whoever/whatever! Thank you, Pat! Thank you, Global Village Vancouver! Life is good.
The power was out for a few hours at work, and it’s just now come back on. I think there was an accident down the highway involving a power pole… I could continue working, but everyone else in the office has cleared out, and I don’t believe in getting paid for slacking. I’ll hit the trail myself pretty soon. I’ll go vote. It’s election day… hooray! And just remember… if you DON’T vote, you’re not allowed to complain about the government. Sorry, but not voting is not cool.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Carnation brand hot chocolate’s catchphrase is “A Warm Hug on a Cold Day”. Isn’t that a lovely sentiment? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we could all get our allotted warm hugs on cold days?
And it is COLD in the A-1 Pallet office this morning. I had frost on my car for the first time this season this morning. I’m wearing my A-1 toque, a giant grey hoodie of Nate’s, and my wooly ski-socks, as I sit here typing away. And I’m drinking a ‘poor man’s mocha’ (recipe: add one package of Carnation brand hot chocolate to one cup of crappy coffee.)
The election fast approacheth. I’m voting Green because
a) they don’t use dirty attack ads maligning the other party leaders
b) they want to make Canada a more ecologically happenin’ nation
c) they want to find a balance between ecology and economy…
I don’t know why people get so freaked out when world-saving measures like the Kyoto accord are hashed out. It’s as though if we all suddenly started being kinder to the earth, the global economy would collapse, and… hey, guess what? It’s collapsing anyway!
Bpppplllt. I don’t believe in money. It’s just an abstract concept. And economics is just a bunch of theories made up by frantic guys in gray suits. In times like these, the main thing to do is buy a bunch of veggie seeds, and plow a bunch of compost into your backyard for the winter. That way, by next spring you can plant your garden, the world can collapse, and you can still eat. But seriously… why can’t we have a resurgence of craftsmanship, bartering, and fair-trade? Why can’t we slow down and fill our heads up with useful knowledge, like how to make shoes out of roadkill and how to shit in the woods? Then we can exchange goods and services. You help me prune my apple trees in the spring, I’ll give you some apples in the autumn. You bring me some eggs from your chickens twice a month, and I’ll make you some roadkill boots.
More reasonably, have a look at New Zealand. Quite a number of years ago, it dawned on the country that worldwide, there was a limited amount of fossil fuel, and thus they couldn’t depend on other countries and continents to be shipping them foods and staples forever. They had to find ways to be self-sufficient. And they have done a lot to achieve that end, in terms of food production and focusing on boosting the value of the products being produced in the country.
I’ve never figured out why Canada sells its raw lumber to the USA. The USA turns the lumber into useful items that they sell back to Canada. Is that ridiculous or what? What are we doing?
Anyway. Vote Green. Boost your skill set with useful survival skills. Get or give a Warm Hug on a Cold Day.
And it is COLD in the A-1 Pallet office this morning. I had frost on my car for the first time this season this morning. I’m wearing my A-1 toque, a giant grey hoodie of Nate’s, and my wooly ski-socks, as I sit here typing away. And I’m drinking a ‘poor man’s mocha’ (recipe: add one package of Carnation brand hot chocolate to one cup of crappy coffee.)
The election fast approacheth. I’m voting Green because
a) they don’t use dirty attack ads maligning the other party leaders
b) they want to make Canada a more ecologically happenin’ nation
c) they want to find a balance between ecology and economy…
I don’t know why people get so freaked out when world-saving measures like the Kyoto accord are hashed out. It’s as though if we all suddenly started being kinder to the earth, the global economy would collapse, and… hey, guess what? It’s collapsing anyway!
Bpppplllt. I don’t believe in money. It’s just an abstract concept. And economics is just a bunch of theories made up by frantic guys in gray suits. In times like these, the main thing to do is buy a bunch of veggie seeds, and plow a bunch of compost into your backyard for the winter. That way, by next spring you can plant your garden, the world can collapse, and you can still eat. But seriously… why can’t we have a resurgence of craftsmanship, bartering, and fair-trade? Why can’t we slow down and fill our heads up with useful knowledge, like how to make shoes out of roadkill and how to shit in the woods? Then we can exchange goods and services. You help me prune my apple trees in the spring, I’ll give you some apples in the autumn. You bring me some eggs from your chickens twice a month, and I’ll make you some roadkill boots.
More reasonably, have a look at New Zealand. Quite a number of years ago, it dawned on the country that worldwide, there was a limited amount of fossil fuel, and thus they couldn’t depend on other countries and continents to be shipping them foods and staples forever. They had to find ways to be self-sufficient. And they have done a lot to achieve that end, in terms of food production and focusing on boosting the value of the products being produced in the country.
I’ve never figured out why Canada sells its raw lumber to the USA. The USA turns the lumber into useful items that they sell back to Canada. Is that ridiculous or what? What are we doing?
Anyway. Vote Green. Boost your skill set with useful survival skills. Get or give a Warm Hug on a Cold Day.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Last night I had a sudden burst of energy after watching Grey’s Anatomy and eating dinner at Sarah’s house, and I rushed home to gather Nate up along with shampoo and conditioner and swimsuits and towels. We were going swimming, and that was that! Usually when Nate harasses me to go swimming I opt out for one reason or another. All excuses, usually.
We went to the pool in Walnut Grove, which has an excellent water slide and an adults-only hot-tub (no splashing, no screaming, no pee-pee in the pool), and a steam room. I usually end the evening in the steam room, sweating like a cheese in August. Sometimes people sneak in with a bottle of cold water and pour some over the thermostat to make it pump out extra steam. Last night it wasn’t very steamy, so I was hoping a bottle-smuggler would appear. My wish is my command! In came this smiling chubby Asian man, very Buddha-esque. He dumped the WHOLE bottle on the thermostat, and laughed when I thanked him. The steam quickly got thick and hot. While he plopped himself down on the top shelf to my right, the other two people in there limply made for the door like overcooked broccoli. I sneaked a glance through the fog at the steam-Buddha beside me… he was doing yoga! Breathing slowly and carefully so that I wouldn’t burn my throat, I tried stretching too- it was fabulous, my muscles like melted butter. I imagined the inside of my body as a cool continent, the exterior only slowly warming. But really, it had never been so hot in there— I eventually had to make for the door myself, leaving the guy folded in half like a jackknife. I had little patches of steam burns on my knees and belly. It was totally worth it. Steam rooms are weird little pockets of society.
*****************************************
The Stanley Park miniature railway is all decked out for the yearly Ghost Train… I am so excited! They start the ride on October 10th, I think. This year, the theme is PIRATES! I’ve only been on it once before with my dad, in 2006 I think. The theme was the Mexican Day of the Dead. It was a blast, very festive and colourful (and only a little scary)! Also, the PNE Playland is opening on the 18th for FRIGHT NIGHTS - I’ve never gone to that before. Tamara and Brad were talking about maybe coming down for both of those… that would be a blast. I haven’t been in a good haunted house for years. Although I did have a dream that the Disney Haunted House had ‘Adult’ alternatives of the ride, which involved experimental mind-bending alternate realities… but that’s another story…
We went to the pool in Walnut Grove, which has an excellent water slide and an adults-only hot-tub (no splashing, no screaming, no pee-pee in the pool), and a steam room. I usually end the evening in the steam room, sweating like a cheese in August. Sometimes people sneak in with a bottle of cold water and pour some over the thermostat to make it pump out extra steam. Last night it wasn’t very steamy, so I was hoping a bottle-smuggler would appear. My wish is my command! In came this smiling chubby Asian man, very Buddha-esque. He dumped the WHOLE bottle on the thermostat, and laughed when I thanked him. The steam quickly got thick and hot. While he plopped himself down on the top shelf to my right, the other two people in there limply made for the door like overcooked broccoli. I sneaked a glance through the fog at the steam-Buddha beside me… he was doing yoga! Breathing slowly and carefully so that I wouldn’t burn my throat, I tried stretching too- it was fabulous, my muscles like melted butter. I imagined the inside of my body as a cool continent, the exterior only slowly warming. But really, it had never been so hot in there— I eventually had to make for the door myself, leaving the guy folded in half like a jackknife. I had little patches of steam burns on my knees and belly. It was totally worth it. Steam rooms are weird little pockets of society.
*****************************************
The Stanley Park miniature railway is all decked out for the yearly Ghost Train… I am so excited! They start the ride on October 10th, I think. This year, the theme is PIRATES! I’ve only been on it once before with my dad, in 2006 I think. The theme was the Mexican Day of the Dead. It was a blast, very festive and colourful (and only a little scary)! Also, the PNE Playland is opening on the 18th for FRIGHT NIGHTS - I’ve never gone to that before. Tamara and Brad were talking about maybe coming down for both of those… that would be a blast. I haven’t been in a good haunted house for years. Although I did have a dream that the Disney Haunted House had ‘Adult’ alternatives of the ride, which involved experimental mind-bending alternate realities… but that’s another story…
Monday, October 06, 2008
Fabulous news! I have a WEBSITE! (distant cheering echoes in my ears...)
www.endrene.com
It's going to be where you can go to check out my artwork. For now, it doesn't showcase any of my paintings, but it has a smattering of works from my sketchbooks from the past three years. Check it out! Major kudos go to my designers and marketers, Amy and Christie of FRESH marketing. www.freshmarketing.ca These ladies do lovely juicy work.
And off on another random tangent... I realized that I have been posting in the Japanese time-zone for the past year and a half. Even though I don't live in Japan anymore. It's 2:13 pm, Monday October 6th. For the record. I'll fix that as soon as I finish this post.
www.endrene.com
It's going to be where you can go to check out my artwork. For now, it doesn't showcase any of my paintings, but it has a smattering of works from my sketchbooks from the past three years. Check it out! Major kudos go to my designers and marketers, Amy and Christie of FRESH marketing. www.freshmarketing.ca These ladies do lovely juicy work.
And off on another random tangent... I realized that I have been posting in the Japanese time-zone for the past year and a half. Even though I don't live in Japan anymore. It's 2:13 pm, Monday October 6th. For the record. I'll fix that as soon as I finish this post.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Brought this to work in my pocket today. It is from my “Dalai Lama Quote per Day” Calendar, and it was just so good, I couldn’t leave it sitting on top my dishwasher:
“Merely thinking that compassion and reason and patience are good will not be enough to develop them. We must wait for difficulties to arise and then attempt to practice them.”
That Dalai Lama… you gotta love him and his big smiling heart.
Hard to believe the weekend has already rolled around again! Nathan and I went to an Outlaw race in Britannia Beach (near Squamish, on Hwy 99) last weekend. It was fun; there was enough safety and control involved so that I wasn’t entirely freaked out. I volunteered on one of the corners, and waved the speedboarders through if it was safe to proceed (it always was). Nate’s Switchback team member, Jeremy Banting, came in third in the race. I found this highly amusing, because the name “Banting” has the ring of authority in the Speedboarding circles (at least as far as I know… which isn’t very far)… and Jeremy… well. Jeremy just doesn’t strike me as a figure of authority. More a figure of comedy; the straight-man to Kelsey’s wild card. I didn’t put “Jeremy” and “Banting” together until last weekend. (go to http://www.switchbacklongboards.com/ and click on ‘Team’ to see the guys I am talking about. I don’t think they have many groupies yet, so they’ll gladly accept a few more).
I like it when the events are good clean fun, like last weekend’s race. The longboarders are mostly respectful and informative to curious passerby and interlopers. But then you get the occasional assholic personality, and they ruin it for the other guys (and girls). The big championships in Maryhill WA saw some of those badass people, and now the nearby town no longer wants to have anything to do with speedboaring events. I mean—these smalltown people opened up their hearts, volunteered, let these guys (and girls) camp, provided facilities for them, even fed them all breakfast… and then a few narrow-minded individuals went and spray painted graffiti and broke mirrors and tipped sculptures, and generally caused thousands of dollars of damage, and irreparably damaged the relationship between the townsfolk and the speedboarders. I mean, who wants to open their doors to hoodlums?
I’ll continue to support the speedboarders, but only the nice ones who don’t say the F-word in front of children, and take the time to educate the skeptics. No point in hating the haters… they only hate what they fear. So erase the fear with knowledge, and you erase the hate. Hey speedboarders: listen to the Dalai Lama, yo.
This weekend Nate and I are heading up to see mom in Kaleden. I’m hoping that I’ll have some free time to say—go for breakfast at White Spot with some of my home-town homies. 10 am Saturday morning? See you there!
“Merely thinking that compassion and reason and patience are good will not be enough to develop them. We must wait for difficulties to arise and then attempt to practice them.”
That Dalai Lama… you gotta love him and his big smiling heart.
Hard to believe the weekend has already rolled around again! Nathan and I went to an Outlaw race in Britannia Beach (near Squamish, on Hwy 99) last weekend. It was fun; there was enough safety and control involved so that I wasn’t entirely freaked out. I volunteered on one of the corners, and waved the speedboarders through if it was safe to proceed (it always was). Nate’s Switchback team member, Jeremy Banting, came in third in the race. I found this highly amusing, because the name “Banting” has the ring of authority in the Speedboarding circles (at least as far as I know… which isn’t very far)… and Jeremy… well. Jeremy just doesn’t strike me as a figure of authority. More a figure of comedy; the straight-man to Kelsey’s wild card. I didn’t put “Jeremy” and “Banting” together until last weekend. (go to http://www.switchbacklongboards.com/ and click on ‘Team’ to see the guys I am talking about. I don’t think they have many groupies yet, so they’ll gladly accept a few more).
I like it when the events are good clean fun, like last weekend’s race. The longboarders are mostly respectful and informative to curious passerby and interlopers. But then you get the occasional assholic personality, and they ruin it for the other guys (and girls). The big championships in Maryhill WA saw some of those badass people, and now the nearby town no longer wants to have anything to do with speedboaring events. I mean—these smalltown people opened up their hearts, volunteered, let these guys (and girls) camp, provided facilities for them, even fed them all breakfast… and then a few narrow-minded individuals went and spray painted graffiti and broke mirrors and tipped sculptures, and generally caused thousands of dollars of damage, and irreparably damaged the relationship between the townsfolk and the speedboarders. I mean, who wants to open their doors to hoodlums?
I’ll continue to support the speedboarders, but only the nice ones who don’t say the F-word in front of children, and take the time to educate the skeptics. No point in hating the haters… they only hate what they fear. So erase the fear with knowledge, and you erase the hate. Hey speedboarders: listen to the Dalai Lama, yo.
This weekend Nate and I are heading up to see mom in Kaleden. I’m hoping that I’ll have some free time to say—go for breakfast at White Spot with some of my home-town homies. 10 am Saturday morning? See you there!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
It's overcast today, cool. Spotlets of rain are starting to pounce into the dust of the yard here and there. It smells like the fibreglass guys next door are busy-- it's a poisonous stench. I won't miss that when I'm gone from here.
I feel a little overwhelmed lately, with emotions that shift like an undertow, invisible to the people around me.
Autumn is like this. Always changing, often unpredictably.
I went for a walk as soon as the lunch bell went. I need more alone time than I have been getting, especially as I am about to launch back into the nonstop social melee of school again. I thought about a few things; about how Nathan is determined to move to Nanaimo, and how I support him on this decision, not really knowing what it means for ‘us’. About the job in Tokushima that Bubu has emailed me about. About the fact that I have been criticized quite a lot in the past few years for ‘being in my head’ too much… when actually, it’s quite a nice place to be. My head is the place that produces my artwork, my dreams and my plans. I like going there, being there.
But I guess I have to come back from it, too. It’s not a place to stay. It’s not a place of actuality and accomplishment. What was that quote I read recently… “We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions, while the world judges us by our actions”. In fact, I think I put that quote in this blog already last month.
I guess it’s pertinent right now.
I feel a little overwhelmed lately, with emotions that shift like an undertow, invisible to the people around me.
Autumn is like this. Always changing, often unpredictably.
I went for a walk as soon as the lunch bell went. I need more alone time than I have been getting, especially as I am about to launch back into the nonstop social melee of school again. I thought about a few things; about how Nathan is determined to move to Nanaimo, and how I support him on this decision, not really knowing what it means for ‘us’. About the job in Tokushima that Bubu has emailed me about. About the fact that I have been criticized quite a lot in the past few years for ‘being in my head’ too much… when actually, it’s quite a nice place to be. My head is the place that produces my artwork, my dreams and my plans. I like going there, being there.
But I guess I have to come back from it, too. It’s not a place to stay. It’s not a place of actuality and accomplishment. What was that quote I read recently… “We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions, while the world judges us by our actions”. In fact, I think I put that quote in this blog already last month.
I guess it’s pertinent right now.
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