Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Sometimes, I feel like life is like a one-way mirror.
We all know that there's more to life than what we see.
We experience it.
We feel.
Life isn't only about what we can touch.

What's on the other side? Can we ever see through this mirror? Because it seems like all we ever see is a reflection of ourselves; mankind.
On the other side seem to be opposites: good and bad, right and wrong, truth and lies, courage and faint-heartedness, hope and despair. On this other side, there seems to be opposition, outside of the fabric of our universe. Behind tangible things, such as cash, there is a plethora of forces that give it significance: greed, power, value, hope, corruption. Cash is not just cash. It affects our world politics, our socioeconomical problems, our moral values. These untouchable forces affect how we, as individuals, act and think. Without them, we would be, in a sense, robotic. They are impossible for us to grasp, or see, or even understand fully. We may feel understanding, but we cannot reason the understanding that we have. There are forces that work alongside our world, but outside and apart from it, and in it, all at the same time. Yet for their number, they are logically ordered and predictable, designed to be manipulated.

Yes, we can pretend that all that exists is what we see: ourselves. Or we can look past the reflection and acknowledge that there is something deeper and larger and more complex than anything we could imagine.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

So I'm back. Somewhat sporadically but here again.
I've been starting work recently at a school called Giant Steps, a school for autistic children. It's been quite the experience working with such a wide spectrum of kids, from ones that are kind of spacey and show a lot of behaviors, flinging their hands around and squealing in ear-shattering pitches, to those who are almost what you call normal until examined closely. It's made me wonder what goes on in these kids' minds, when some of them are so scrambled that they can't learn to write or toss a ball. Sometimes you can tell they're trying to please you and really want to perform well and it's adorable, but they're just so unable because some connections somewhere in their brains are not connected the right way. Some of them though, are just off in space and unable to focus on anything. My friend Noah says that these are the kids who are planning to take over the world. I laughed.
Today, I was teaching little blond Charlie to write his name. "This is boring," he says to me, "I'm going to blow up the school." And then returned to his r's. You were right bro, sorry I doubted you.
And then there are times where I'm walking around in a figure eight flapping my arms and pretending to be a duck with 4 kids following right behind me, and I really wonder what I'm doing...

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Here are the remainder of my pictures from California. For a complete set, go visit my album of Facebook - I've posted them all there. I cannot believe that two weeks ago, I was sitting on a beach in California. It seems surreal now, how relaxed I was, how much time I had. Now, not even two weeks into the semester, I'm running around again, like a maniac, trying to get everything done at once.


The cliffs of La Jolla. In some guidebook they described these cliffs as one of North America's great wonders or something but they aren't. They're very beautiful, granted, but not a natural wonder. In my opinion. Who knows, maybe I'm missing out on something.



Mexican Cafe in Old Town where I had lunch one day. The Mexican food was amazing, given that the place was a short 15 minute drive away from the Mexican border and the Cafe was located a few blocks away from the trolley station that provides transportation into and out of Tijuana every day. The tacos were real, 100%. I never knew I was eating fake until I have the real stuff and now, I can't eat Mexican food in Canada anymore. It just doesn't do justice.


At a port in Coronado. My friend had to take a picture of me with the big boat. Aircraft carrier or something. He was a guy, he knew what it was. I had no idea, I just stood there and smiled at the camera.


Us having fun at Coronado, San Diego skyline in the background. It was a beautiful day, as always.

On the beautiful Coronado beach with gold-speckled sand. Coronado, next to La Jolla, was the most touristy beach around. I like this picture because it wasn't taken very well and we were all unaware that the picture was being taken at all. It captures us on the beach in California that day.


My last breakfast on Pacific Beach before I went to the airport later that morning. The place was called Jordan and served very good eggs benedict. We sat and watched the joggers with their dogs go by, and the bikers in groups of two or three, or the surfer dudes with the tousled hair and the average Joe people who just enjoyed walking along the beach on a Sunday morning. I remember sitting at the table, just drinking in the sights and smells and feeling and wishing that I could stay.



It's been a long summer. Quite eventful. I started in Calgary visiting old friends and spending time with people I hadn't seen in years. I continued to Edmonton to do an internship at the Royal Alexandra hospital, meeting new friends at South Edmonton Alliance Church and getting a feel for a small Albertan city. Wandered the streets of New York, tasting all the delights that New York had to offer and had a few eye-opening experiences. Finished in California, finding rest on the sunny beaches and good conversations with an old mentor.
I wish I could say that the summer was perfect. It wasn't. Many things went wrong. There is nothing like traveling alone that makes you realize your own inadequacies. I realized all of mine and more. I started off the summer confident in myself, feeling like I could conquer the world and completed the summer humbled and a little bit wiser, but unfortunately also a little more jaded. I learned more than I could ever describe in this blog and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to travel for the past three months. If I may, I'm going to leave a few of my "lessons learned" for you guys.
1) Take risks. Usually, it's worth it - the reward outweighs the risk and the fun outweighs both. Life is for living, not for sitting and twiddling thumbs.
2) Acts of friendship and hospitality are the greatest gifts you can give someone. Having been received warmly by both old friends and strangers and feeling welcome in every city I visited, I can say that I am indescribably grateful to everyone I passed along the way.
3) Always wear sunscreen. No kidding. My back is three different colors of burnt to prove it.

Thus concludes my summer blogging. As the semester rolls on, I will blog seldom, if ever. See you again in November or December...

Thursday, August 30, 2007

More pictures of beautiful, sunny California.
I love how it's always sunshiney here. How it's always hot but at a perfect temperature when the ocean breeze comes through. I love how palm trees just grow on the side of the road and the houses that sit on the mesas look like they've been weathered to become part of the cliffs.

Visit to Old Town, San Diego. Huge Mexican influence there. Lots of Spanish on the streets, Mexican-influenced architecture, Mexican cafes on every block. The tacos were amazing. After this, I can't go back to Three Amigos or Carlos and Pepes...Now I know what real Mexican is like.


Did some wandering amidst the street vendors and old-style shops that lined the streets. Fascinating things - I wish I could take it all home with me.




My friends took me to a driving range. I learned to golf for the first time and found out it took a lot more precision and positioning than I first thought. Very much fun though - I can understand why people enjoy it very much. As the sun set and the sky turned dark purple, it got easier to spot my balls as they flew out to midfield.


I had to take a picture of the mustang convertible that we zipped around in. I love this car. I love the grey sleekness of it and how the wind hits my face as we fly down the freeways.


Pelicans. Funny-looking things they are.

Inside a cave at La Jolla.


Sea anemones. Cute, interesting little things. I sat on the sea-carved rocks all day that day and watched as the anemones closed up when the tiny sand crabs scuttled over them. Listened to the waves crashing onto the rocks, saw the long, deep green seaweed breathe in and out with the tide, felt the salty sea breeze. Sat there and watched the sparkling ocean disappear into the horizon.
And of course, while I was at it I evened out my tan.





Got just a little wet splashing around in the waves.


If I had a choice, I'd stay here. For a long time...or at least until I had the luxury of calling all these things "normal".

Monday, August 27, 2007

I found out where I'll be living once I move out.
People say California is great - they never say it's this idyllic. Cruising down the No. 8 freeway last night in a convertible with the top down, the wind in my face, the radio cranked up, the sun setting just over the palm trees turning the sky pink and orange, the sandy adobe mexican-style houses lining the hills, I realized that this is where, if at all possible, I'd like to end up.


Pacific Beach, the "college beach". Not so busy today. It was sunny and hot but the cool ocean breeze kept the temperature perfect. The deep blue ocean just stretches out into the horizon.


We went to Tijuana, Mexico last night. We didn't spend that much time there - just walked down the Strip, had a few drinks, wandered through the quiet streets and then crossed back over the border. TJ is only a half hour drive from San Diego but exists a world apart. There's a dangerous edge about the place. Taxi drivers that hound you for a few dollars. Fights that break out on the streets. If you don't keep an eye on your drink you don't know what will end up in it. However it did have some exotic charm to it and the tequila was something to remember.


Good old Archstone. This is where I'm staying with my friend. Outdoor walkways that enter into luxurious apartments, heated pool and hot tub, palm trees that arch through skylights in corridors.


Fashion Valley Mall. It's beautiful - an outdoor mall. It's like a regular mall, just without a roof. The food court is on the second level in the open air and the Mexican architecture of mundane stores like Macy's or JCPenny gives everything a certain flair.

Trying to do cartwheels on the beach.
Woops.

Woops.

Yay!

Mmm....this is definitely the way to end my summer. I could not have done better. Except maybe Fiji...

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Some final pictures of New York City. One week was not enough to see everything I wanted to see but at the same time, Manhattan was overwhelming and noisy and crowded and I can say I'm a bit relieved to be out of a big city. Not that I'm not in a big city now - San Diego's pretty big - but it's a way different feel. Everything's a little more relaxed here. The smoggy Manhattan air too was not one of my favorite things about the city. I did, however, have quite a few adventures.


Going apartment shopping with my friend Tim one day, I realized how expensive living in Manhattan really was. Places we saw like the one pictured above, a small 1 1/2 that was visibly layered over with multiple coats of paint still cost circa $1700/month. No air conditioning, countertop and mini-fridge along the wall at the other side of the main room and bathroom so small that if you sat on the toilet you could still wash your hands at the sink. Needless to say, I was appalled and vowed never to call anything in Montreal "expensive" again. Compared to this, the 4 1/2 I had last summer for $1300 was deluxe.



I love ferryboats. The feeling of motion, the wind running through my hair, the sights, the smells. I could have taken that ferry back and forth from Staten Island for the entire day.


My (hopefully) future school, although I still maintain that I'd love to go to school in California. Advantage of schooling in NYC: networking. Lots and lots of connections. According to a very successful Wall Street broker I know, today's world is not about Ivy League education, it's about connections. T/F?




Shopping in Chinatown. Dirty, crowded, the briney smell of fish and crab wafting up from every tank and bucket placed on the street to sell. Old men still spitting on the street like they do in China so you need to watch your step. Little puddles of questionable murky water streetside. Food was pretty good but Manhattan's Chinatown is not the greatest Chinatown I've been to.


A hint of tropical paradise by Rockfeller center. The conglomeration of tourists and the trendy side boutiques gave this place a very festive atmosphere. Beware of walking into other people's photos.


Trump tower. 'Nuff said.
I wonder how logical it is to put trees halfway up a building. The green goes very well with the Gucci ad in red though. However strange, New York is unfailingly fashionable.


Coney Island. I took the Wonder Wheel - the huge ferris wheel in the amusement park - all the way to the top. Although the sticky humidity was very bad that day, nothing can go wrong when I'm on a ferris wheel. Along with ferryboats, it's another favorite of mine. When I went down, the boardwalk and beach were relatively empty because it was getting late, the sun was setting and all the tourist families were headed back to the City. Plenty of locals were around though, hanging out on the boardwalk and fishing on the pier. It would have been very beautiful if the rotting smell of fish guts on the pier didn't make my stomach turn. Needless to say, I retreated fairly quickly back to the boardwalk and then since it was getting dark, the D train back to Manhattan.
Sadly, I have yet to comment on the Manhattan night life since I've still got 3 months till I'm 21, the legal age in the States.


I just landed at the San Diego Airport a few hours ago. It was a really rough night. I vowed never again to fly earlier than 10AM. My flight was at 6:35AM this morning. The waiting around the airports and flying when exhausted was definitely not very fun. Got very little and sporadic sleep. Pikka (an old friend and mentor of mine) is sleeping. I think she may have the right idea.
More updates to follow.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Having fun in New York!


Spent half a day at the Cloisters, an awakening to all my little girl fairy tale fantasies of Medieval castles and chasing unicorns. The weathered stones of the old chapels ground you and give you a deep sense of peace in your heart.



Subway stations here make Guy Concordia metro look cushy. Very, very sketchy.

Bunches of fenced off lush green spaces - private parks. Small little oases in an urban jungle.



One of the many colorful murals in East Village.

New York reminds me a bit of Montreal. After having spent the last 2 months in the small cities of Alberta where the one mall downtown doesn't open past 5 pm and Starbucks downtown closes at 4 pm, where free public wireless doesn't exist and nothing is really within walking distance, New York is a haven. With the 24-hour restaurants and the wireless internet access in every cafe, the extensive subway system and people outside at all hours of the day, this place is what I've been missing all summer. I never thought of myself as a big city girl but maybe I miss the amenities that a big city offers. Even growing up going to backcountry ranches and the outcountry mountains, I wonder if maybe I'm just a city girl at heart.