Kroozin Canada

Have I sold my soul...??!!

2007-10-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

I just joined Facebook.

That's right kids. I'm not sure how I feel about it... I also am back to the 9-5 world come next week. Again, I've got a little butterfly friend growing in my gut.

gulp.
kw (determined not to let the adventures end...)

Back in the "Fax" with the fam!

2007-10-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing like having a good'ol visit from family! I was lucky enough to have a great visit from Mom, Dad, Bry and my Grandparents!! :) What a treat!

We did some family tree research in Hubbards, NS; Montague, PEI and Truro, NS. We even got invited to a "family" barn wedding (I'm apparently related through my grandfather, though I couldn't trace it back for ya!). We were well received wherever we went and took lots of pictures of gravestones. We also checked out the Halifax scene, including Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg.

It was a great holiday and great to see everyone! Though tough to say goodbye... tear, tear! :)

Cycling on my own... yikes!

2007-10-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

What happened to my cycling gang??!!
Cooking for one person, how does one do that??!
Tent buddy Kelly, where did you go? What?!
No planned accommodations for this evening?
Who's planning the route, making breakfast, packing up, calling the shots... hello?...Guess it's me then!!!

Wow, after 2 months of community living in close quarters, leaving my buddies in Moncton to cycle 9 days to Annapolis Royal and ending my solo journey in Kejimkujik National Park (central NS) was a bit of a shock at first. But soon, Zoom, T-dubs (my new flag pole maskot, generously given as a gift from Jocelyn, one of our inspiring tour leaders after Guy-dubs got lost in New Brunswick) and I were on a role and caught what I like to call the "open-road-syndrome".

Here's my buddy T-dubs (aka turtle and well, my last name has been reduced to "dubs")

Clocking in over 100kms/day and plenty of hills, I met some great folks, slept in some random places and even was lucky enough to visit Erica and Josh on the way, in Wolfville, a great town that has a great atmosphere and plenty of fair trade goodies. Ending it off in Keji park was also a treat. It's a beautiful spot with lots of lakes and rivers and friendly campers. It was a treat to catch a ride back with my campsite neighbours to Halifax... the legs appreciated it! :)

Goodtimes, goodtimes! :)

Ode to freedom...

kw

Some very friendly folks I met on the road, from Cleveland (with crazy cool rain gear!)

Bay of Fundy sunset... beauty

Keji, calm, cool and serene

O... tesha!

2007-10-05T14:15:00.001-07:00

After a whirlwind of a summer with my fellow traveling theatre-troupers, I thought I'd add a post about my experience as part of the Otesha project's East Coast cycling and presenting tour.

The group of us all got a long really well and I feel like I have close conspirers in planet health-ifying all over the country. The collective contribution of talent, passion and ideas was truly beautiful. Our skit remained fresh despite our numerous presentations during the 2 months, and our team interactions were swell, even when everyone was tired, stinky and bug-bitten. A true family experience!

I must say, what an energetic pace these kids muster! My goodness, between planning and rehearsing our play (which focused environmental and social justice issues and the power each of us has in making positive choices everyday), team meetings (gotta love the hand signals when you're using consensus decision making), shopping for groceries and cooking and other day to day things... (oh yah, like cycling!) it was quite an energetic experience. I had plans to read, carve wood, do art, meditate everyday, journal, swap skills with my fellow presenting pals... yes, well I learned!!! Indeed, allocating time for laundry and the occasional chain cleaning was pretty much all I could squeeze in!!

It was a great way to see more of the Maritimes, my new home. There are so many fascinating communities scattered here and there and lots of really neat folks and initiatives. The diverse scenery was also pretty cool. From the "flower pot" rocks in the Bay of Fundy, serene rivers like the Miramichi, rough exposed coast line along Nova Scotia's Southern shore, rolling farmland throughout rural New Brunswick, it was pretty spectacular.

All in all, it seems pretty crazy to be back in Halifax, a big city, and without a traveling community. But the experience has been impactful (all about the "good action"!) and I'm excited to put what I learned into practise!

Pictures to come... hopefully shortly!

Many cheers and well chained gears! ;)
Kristy

Otesha-ing the Maritimes!

2007-07-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Summer time and the cycling wheels are turning...

Cheers friends and folks!

It's been a while, but I just wanted to update my adventures as part of the Otesha Project's East Coast bike tour team. 14 of us are cruising through the Southern shore of NS and are currently in Yarmouth. It is an energetic, fun-filled, and pretty intense experience but I am definitely loving seeing and learning more from the communities we are passing through.

Case in point: Pubnico. Last night we camped outside le Muse Acadien in the small village, which is the oldest Acadian settlement apparently. As we entered the town, there were signs EVERYWHERE supporting Dwight D'Eon who is currently competing on the Canadian Idol. One sign said: "I may be 93, but Dwight is my Idol"!!! :) So cute! We cheered for Dwight at the local Legion with some of the locals, many of whom have the same last names and are distantly related to their local hero!

Not only that, but it was really cool to chat with the lobster and haddock fishermen on the dock in French, well Acadian French, which was quite a treat to hear. It's a mix of both languages and comes across almost as a mumble. I found I really had to concentrate, but boy were they friendly! We got a tour of the boat and they described the fishing methods.

Finally, after a tour of the museum, we were presented with patches which the community members made with little Acadian flags on them, in addition to freshly baked bread for breakfast! :)

Anyways, quite enjoying the unique opportunity to travel in a mobile community who is passionate about environmental and social issues. We are having lots of fun, learning lots and are excited to see more of NS till Digby (and hopefully some local scallops) and off to New Brunswick!

Hope everyone is having a great summer thus far! Though it's tough to find time to fit in a blog entry, I look forward from hearing from you! :)

"Much peace and bicycle grease" (one of the many Otesha sayings),
Kristy

Watch out Maritimes... here comes Team Otesha!

2007-07-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

That's right: drivers, clear the road,
Youth, get excited about environmental sustainability,
Pull out the recycling bins, open up minds, turn those frowns upside down...
As here comes Team Otesha on the Maritimes Tour!! :)

Hello loyal blog readers excited about a green future!

I've posted before a little bit about the Otesha Project and the bike tours that are occuring across Canada to promote the issues of environmental sustainability and social justice to youth. I am a member of the Maritimes team, one of 14 21-30 year olds who are passionate about the environment and encouraging others to consider their everyday choices in light of the health of our good'ol friend: Mother Earth!

We will be touring around the Maritimes on 2 wheels (well, 2x14 actually... plus bike trailers) for 2 months giving presentations and engaging others on how they can make a difference.

I'm super excited and looking forward to meeting the team this afternoon. I'd also like to thank all of you who supported me in this initiative through helping with my fundraising or providing encouragement along the way. We will have a team blog to update you of our travels and I will provide you with more information after our week long training week which begins... today! :)

All the best to everyone for a great summer filled with lots of smiles and of course, watermellons! :)

Cheerio,
Kristy

Oh Canada...

2007-06-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Namaste, Hello, Sosriakul (sp?!), As-salamu alaykum... HOWDY FOLKS!

Reporting live from good ol' Halifax, boy it's nice to be back in Canada. After great travels and many adventures, I was quite excited to see the maple leaf on our Air Canada aircraft in London Heathrow. My neighbour on the plane was a young German woman who is planning to stay here for 3 months, and I proudly recommended some good sights. It's reassuring after almost 4 months abroad to come feel good about coming home. Though it would be nicer if Canada was a little smaller and my Westcoast family and friends were a little more accessible...

Anyways, I'm still reflecting lots on lessons learned and memories of my travels and can't wait to share with all you folks, not to mention hear about all your news! Meanwhile, I'm now preparing for a 2 month cycling tour (that starts in a week!) around the Maritimes with the aim of empowering youth to make a difference regarding environmental sustainability and social justice issues... hope I remember how to cycle!!

I hope the beginning of summer finds everybody well! We are sure lucky to live in a country where by and large we all have the opportunities to pursue our interests and dreams...

Many smiles,
Kristy

Welcome to Doha...

2007-06-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

As-salamu alaykum (A Muslim arabic greeting that translates as "peace be upon you") friends!!

I am now in Doha in the State of Qatar in the Persian Gulf for 4 days (to break up my long return journey). What a change from India and Nepal! It is a Muslim state and men wear white robes with head dresses (which look perfect for the heat) while women wear mostly black hijab and abbayah (viel and dress covering everything but their hands and faces) while some even wear nicab (face covering with slits for their eyes). EVERYTHING is divided for men and women. This morning I went to the cultural centre and had a personal lesson on Islam (they let me join the "Intro to Islam for New Muslims class). Man it's strict and also very very different than what I'm used to... but I was happy to learn a little bit, especially in light of our media's tendancy to link the Middle East and Islam with terrorism. The few Qatari's I've met have been hugely welcoming and very friendly (as I describe below, a minority of people in Doha are actually Qatari)!

Yup, the adjacent picture is indeed a skating rink (it's almost 50oC outside but in the mall there's a skating rink!)! And the image next is a renovated "souq" (bazaar or market) where you can find spices, clothes and all sorts of other household items. I would have loved to share more pictures of people, but that's a sensitive one. But hopefully the 2 men in "thobs" (I think- white robes and head dresses are visible).

The evidence of wealth (due to the abundance of oil and gas in the Gulf) is almost appauling (especially after spending time in India and Nepal)... nothing but new cars/SUV's everywhere, crazy expensive hotels and more to come with construction everywhere, and beautiful beige and white villas everywhere! Due to the amount of wealth up for grabs, the amount of globalization is insane... My taxi driver was Indian, we got directions from a Qatari, the owner of the hostel here is Egyptian and workers from India and Sri Lanka, my new friend/tourguide is Tunisian (sp?), I've met his friends from the Philipines and Canada, our waitress today in an American restaurant was from Romania, and we ate next to a couple British families!! It's nuts! And all their jokes are international in flavour (... though not suitable to post online).

Anyways, I hope to attach pics soon, but I'm off to meet a Canadian Muslim who is sure to join in my Tunisian friend's attempts to convince me to come work here for in the oil and gas industry for $50-60k USD - tax free!! Yup, nothing is taxed here and gas is about 20 cents/L (about 10 years ago, apparently it was free!). When asked about hybrid cars and their availability here, my friend simply responded: "Why?!". I haven't mentioned about my engagement with Otesha nor my previous employment with environment Canada, both of which are concerned about climate change...

Nways, most interesting. Leave tomorrow late night "inshallah" and will be looking forward to catching up with all you folks one way or another on Canadian soil (not to mention enjoying temps below 45oC!!!)!

Cheerios,
Kristy :)

Here is the most common sight in Doha... billion dollar condo's and office buildings are popping up like mushrooms. In the past 2 years virtually all the now existing highrises were built (as you can see if you look across the gulf in the picture above of Corniche, the road adjacent to the sea...). My goodness!!!

I've also included a few shots of "The Pearl" a new multi-billion dollar development project just offshore of Corniche. It is actually an articifial island!!

Chandigarh- am I still in India???!!

2007-06-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Namaste, but somehow I feel hello is more appropriate at the moment!

I'm in a place called Chandigarh, in the state just below Punjab. It is a modern city planned 50 years ago by Le Corbusier, a Swiss city planner. The city is organized in a grid pattern- I'm staying in "Sector 22"! Although it makes navigating pretty simple, the buildings are all quite similar in style- mostly concrete and low density so the city is quite spread out.

Here are some things that I find interesting, in contrast to the other cities in India I've visited:
- there are gardens and green spaces everywhere!
- the signs are mostly in english and the shopping area has Tommy Hillfiger, Addidas and Levis stores
- I haven't seen one Hindu (or any other religious) shrine which usually is always around the corner whever I've been
- there is relatively little garbage on the streets
- there are even continuous sidewalks (this I still can't get over!!)
- I haven't seen one cow on the roads!

Above is an example of one of the many green gardens... I don't know how the plants manage to stay alive as I'm going through 1L of water every hour here!!! ;)

However, to keep me confused but sane knowing I'm still in India, there are rickshaw wallahs everywhere that try to get your business and chai wallahs on every sidewalk... Phew! As much as it was nice this morning to go for a long walk through "Leisure Valley" and the rose garden, I kind of miss the chaos and the different cultural aspects of the rest of India (plus mid 40oC's just tire me out!!). But off to Delhi tomorrow as my time in India is running thin!

Cheerios and many greetings!
Kristy

Jumping into Sikh culture!

2007-06-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

Namaste, or let's go with "Satsriakal" (the Punjabi greeting) from Punjab!

After spending a relaxing 4 days in a hill station after my Hindu pilgrimage trip where families enjoy the cool temperatures (I never thought I'd say that 30oC is refreshing!!) and go for horse rides around the mountain, fairgrounds as well as enjoy ice cream (yes, life's tough!!) I decided to catch the train to Punjab. There is a large Sikh population (the main religion in the Punjab) in Vancouver so hence my interest.

The main area of interest is the Golden Temple in Amritsar. What a truly fascinating place. The Gurdwara (temple) is a huge complex made out of marble with a large pool surrounded by a large walkway. In the center of the pool is the sanctuary which is plated with gold. The religious feel of the temple is accentuated by a continuous chant from the Sikh holy book- really neat. The men almost all wore traditional Indian dress (long white kurta top with white pants) in addition to the turban. In addition to the uncut hair, which is one of the 5 emblems of Sikh culture, they carry a comb (kangha), a sword (kirpan), a steel bangle (karra) and wear a form of loose underwear to symbolise modesty (kaccha). You must wash your feet and cover your head while entering the temple. I really felt like I was in a different word...

In addition to the temple itself, the founder of the religion stressed equality in the form of social service, family and hardwork. There are communal kitchens and free dormitories for all visitors, regardless of faith. They must feed about 10 000 people a day and they even have a chapati machine! It was humbling to sit on the floor among hundreds of others while enjoying chapati and daal. And the Sikh people I met were incredibly kind (though pointy elbows were quick to emerge while trying to get onto the free bus from the train station!!).

Above is a snap of a smaller langur (community kitchen) in Anandapur Sahib. Everyone sits on the floor and seconds are welcome... neat concept! ... and yummy food too! :)

I was thoroughly taken by Amritsar so decided to go to the holiest Sikh city, Anandapur Sahib to learn some more. The landscape of the village is doted with Gurdwaras everywhere! It was neat to experience the smaller scale temples, still beautiful with the chanting and white marble walls in contrast to the gold. Again it was dorm style accomodations and I met some Indian friends that helped me navigate the town (not much english and only a paragraph in the Lonely Planet- not even a map, my travel bible is letting me down!!!).

Anyways, I don't think I've explained this well as I'm still pretty amazed by the experience. So hopefully the pictures will help! :)

Much peace to home, I hope all is going well!
Phir melange (see you!),
Kristy

From the beginning...

2007-05-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Namaste again!

Anyways, arriving in Gangotri- where the pilgrims begin their trek to Gamukh (or "Cow's Mouth" glacier, the source of the Ganga) was cold (why do I find myself in extemes in this country)! Though my stomach was still a far cry from being healthy, I made the full day trek into the camp 4km below Gamukh passing sadhus with their orange robes and tin carriers and families also making the trek (most of whom opted to go on horseback). I camped alongside
about 30 other folks in a sea of blankets in a dabhas (a tea stand) which was quite an experience and was happy that another foreigner (German guy) and I had befriended a small Indian group that spoke english very well. Despite snow, leaks and a hopelessly late dinner at 9pm (hungry!), we awoke to a beautiful day and I continued to Gamukh. Passing several Hindu shrines, I came to the base of the glacier and the Cow's Mouth- pretty spectacular site, both in the symbolic sense and the natural beauty of the surounding sites.

And so this completes my journey to the source of the Ganga, and filled with much Hindu karma, I rest my angry stomach in Dehra Dun and find my thoughts drifting home...

I hope all is well with all of you and it's always good to receive notes and greetings! :)
Be well and much peace,
Kristy

The first "snap" is the Gamukh glacier. Note the small opening (Cow's Mouth). There she be... the beginning of the great Mother Ganga! The second is a line of Dabhas, where I slept... an interesting experience indeed! But can't beat the 15 rupee charge (the equivalent of less that 50 cents)!

On the Hindu pilgrim path...

2007-05-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

Namaste!

In attempt to futher experience the richness and diversity of Indian culture, I decided to join the thousands of Indian tourists on their pilgrimage to one of the most holiest sites: the source of the Ganges, or their Mother Ganga. Seeing that John and I have been tracing the Ganga from our arrival in India, I feel it is appropriate to end up my travels in India in her pursuit.

So to begin I arrived in the holy city of Haridwar, where it was like Ganga puja (workship) central! The city is filled with Sadhus, pilgrims, peggars and families, while the shops sell shells, beads, religious garbs, goodies for offerings. There is one main ghat where puja is performed 24x7 by thousands of colourful folks.

One the way to the ghat, I passed a group of travelling saddhus, a sea of orange, singing and drumming as they collected alms from nearby wallahs. Closer to the rapids of the Ganga, I was blown away by the action... From the adventurous teenage boys testing their swimming strength against the strong current, to the woman accompanied by her husband and small daughter taking great care to reapply the red vermillion powder down the part of her hair as a sign of marriage, to the group of old women fanning their wet saris in the sun while re-wrapping themselves with its length while their friends enjoy their afternoon chai nearby, and finally the little guy (maybe 3 yrs old?) relieving himself on the stairs with great concentration despite the surrounding festival-ish atmosphere.

Among the masses, these sites unravel but a threat of the cultural fabric on India linked by religion and place... (an author you say? perhaps I've plagarized this from one of the many Indian novels I've been reading!!!)

Pretty cool spot, though I was eager to escape the heat for some mountain air in my search of the source of the Ganga... next stop: Gangotri!

Namaste and blessings from the Ganga to all! :)
Kristy

The adjacent shot is the nightly Ganga worship ceremony. There were SO many people that the officials used their whisters to try to control the hords of people... with limited success!!

Kermit the frog is a clever little dude!

2007-05-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

It's tough being GREEN and well, I'm going to take the liberty to include BLUE to the mix!!

Let's just say that a white person wearing a sari attracts all eyes, but a green/blue person, you can just imagine!!!...

I wasn't going to blog about this but it seems like a good excuse to temporarily escape the wallahs and heat of New Delhi, so why not! Plus, I figure if I can't laugh at myself during such silly occasions, that I'd have a lot less to laugh at! ;)

OK, OK, I'll get to the story... So in my attempt to experience India and while marveling at the flashes of colour at the market from the women in saris, while in Varanasi, I picked up a sari. With a quick lesson on how to put it on (a sari consists of ~5.5m of fabric 1m wide and is wrapped around its wearer traditionally without the aid of pins. The outfit is complete with a short blouse and petticoat underneath the bundle of fabric), on the way to Jaipur I decided to give'er a try. This wasn't smart for 2 reasons:

a) lugging around a backpack and a daypack is nearly impossible with a sari (indeed the usually simple act of walking becomes almost a dangerous activity for a neophite sari-wearer!)
b) it was HOT!!! Rajisthan is not known for it's cool climate in the summer!!!

So, bundled up in green and blue fabric like a Christmas present, sweating up a storm and putting up with stares from pretty much everyone, we made our way from Agra to Jaipur until John informed me that my back was green. Not just a pale tinge, but a highly noticeable GREEN! In fact my whole body from neck to ankles were green/blue- the back of my legs almost true royal blue!!

Wanting nothing more to give up my cultural experiment of the sari and to have a shower, the rest of the day consisted of me trying to forget the spectacle I was making and laughing at the whole situation! Not wanting to give up, after a thorough wash of my sari, I wore it twice more. Though still white, I have to admit that it's not my thing- it's just simply too much fabric for me to successfully contend with (!!!) and am trying to figure out a way to pawn it off, or offer it to a women who could use it.

Unfortunately, we have no pictures besides one of me pouring out the water after soaking my sari (which was literally indigo). But I can assure you all (and John will surely attest) that I looked hideous regardless of the rainbow of skin colours that I tried out that day!! :)

Your friend committed to embarrassing Canadians overseas,
Kristy

ps. If anyone wants a sari, please let me know! ;)

India by storm!

2007-05-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

Namaste all those back home!

Seems like a while since I've sat down with old Blogger and we've been travelling a lot it seems. After an interesting trip from Kathmandu to Varanasi (more like Nepal to India to Nepal to India because of our Nepalese visa running out, then an (extended) bus ride marked with a rain storm which forced us to stop due to the heavy rain for which we didn't have windshield wippers, accidents, and finally no headlights... needless to say, Varanasi wasn't as crazy as it's made out to be... maybe we're getting used to it??!) .

Anyways, let's start with Varanasi- it is one of the holiest spots in India where Hindu pilgrims from all over come to bathe and do laundy, brush teeth, pray and play, wash animals and most famously be dunked before being cremated on one of the nearby burning ghats. It's a truly fascinating place with the Ganges (Mother Ganga) acting as the life vein of the city. The Hindu people believe that the Ganges flows from the feet of the god Vishnu and if they die in Varanasi, they will escape the cycle of birth and death. It's also the spot where the film Water was based (though the film is banned in India after considerable controversies). In addition to the Ganga and the ghats, the streets are narrow narrow mazes filled with food stalls, shops selling holy offerings, silk saris, temples, cows and monkeys. Despite staying there for 4 days, we still got lost whenever we left! I really enjoyed Varanasi as history, religion and day to day life really converge in your face.

This third picture is the night puja (offering)
ceremony on the main ghat- pretty spectacular.

Next stop, after an overnight train ride (I have to say that after reading many books based in India, for some reason I’ve dreamt for years of riding the overly congested Indian trains, filled with all sorts of walas (vendors) to catch a glimpse of the diversity and chaos (and beauty perhaps?) of humanity) to Agra. We rode 3A/C (3 tiered beds in A/C) which was way to comfortable and lacked the chaos I was expecting. But I’ll cut my complaints as I’m not sure I’ve mentioned that it’s HOT in India… but again I won’t complain as I’m soon to write about our next couple destinations which are even hotter! Anyways, without too much trouble we arrived in Agra, the home of the most recognized Indian visual: the Taj Mahal.

In the heat, we were pretty wiped, but managed to get a rooftop restaurant view of the Taj Mahal (as to get in costs what we pay for about a day of traveling and we were happy with a glimpse while holding a cool drink!). Pretty beautiful and an amazing tribute to love. It was constructed by a devastated husband whose wife died after birth of her 14th child. But what caught my attention from our perch were the number of multicoloured kites being flown by young children and fathers alike- oh and the monkey playground (I mean city scape!).

Next stop: Jaipur! Why we decided to enter Rajisthan in this heat, I will never know… but interesting none the less! Jaipur is known as the pink city as the old town is all painted in pink. Lots of interesting bazaars with tie dye and all sorts of gems. We visited a field of astronomy/astrology sculptures which was really interesting and via the sundial, I determined that my watch was 1 minute slow- cool! We also enjoyed the local lassiwala (think yoghurt drink) which made the heat bearable!

Here is the palace beehive-like watch tower building thing- neat little spot to watch the city pass by... and one of the sun dials (the 27 m high one is currently being restored).

From Jaipur, maybe due to madness caused by head, we went further into Rajisthan to the Shekhawati region to Nawalgarh. Upon our arrival, I got hit with heat exhaustion I think and didn’t move far from the bed (and toilet, but I’ll leave out the details) for almost 48 hours. Meanwhile we stayed at a great family guest house with great food and lots of friendliness. Though no one does much from 10am – 5pm due to the heat (it was about 48oC), the region is known for it’s villages filled with havelis (old mural paintings- see the images below) and laidback rural charm (oh, and camels!!). John toured around when the heat was bearable, while I finally got out to see one of the main haveli that was really spectacular!

Though I can’t say we were in tears to leave the heat to enter Delhi, which even in a heat wave is a lot more bearable! I’ll write more on that later… that’s news for now!

Hope all is well back home and the summer is sneaking up with pleasant temperatures and all sorts of goodstuff!

Namaste!
Kristy

"A to B" is never just "A to B" in Nepal!!!

2007-04-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

Namaste again!

Thought this needed it's separate entry, cause well, it's just one of those things! :)

So, the bus to and from the starting point of our Langtang trek usually takes 10 hours via public bus, which can be an experience on it's own. On the way there, the bus aisle was packed with cement and rice packs and TVs/computer equipment was everywhere. Not to mention the men and women of all ages and children that crowded both the inside of the bus as well as the rooftop! It was quite a bumpy and dusty ride (our nose "discharge" was black for a few days!), but the ride back gets even better...

Freshly showered after our trek, wearing my flip flops to rest my poor abused feet, John and I were ready for the journey, even with the dust and bumps. We were both quite looking forward to letting the bus do the transporting for us for a day! However, after a rather non-eventful start to the trip (it wasn't even crowded, nor was it dusty since it rained the previous night!), after lunch our bus stopped along side a collection of stopping buses. Apparently there was a strike ahead to protest the actions of a man who killed his wife up ahead on the route. According to the guide from a couple of other tourists, there was shooting ahead as well...

We (us + 6 other tourists plus a friendly guide) debated waiting a four hours assuming that the strike would be clear, or walking. After much debate (it was a hot day and about 2 hours walk, plus we weren't sure how safe the situation was), we tied up our hiking boots and began the pilgrimage with quite a number of locals. We took a detour though the village fields and sweaty but safely traversed the protest (which by now was just a blocked road and a torched motorcycle in front of the family's home).

We tried flagging down some buses, but they were all full, so like the adventurous tourists we are, we climbed up to the rooftop to experience the ride in a slightly different context! The bars on the top made for an "interesting" seat, but the view of the valley and villages more than made up for the bruised bum! It was also very exhilarating observing the numerous near misses of motorcycles and other buses, as well as waving to the other "roof-toppers" on other buses!

So in the end, we were quite fortunate that our Shyabru Bensi --> Kathmandu bus ride provided us a few bonus opportunities- a rural trek through a village way off the tourist trek alongside the locals, as well as a complimentary roller coaster with better views than Playland! I was telling John that that's what I love about traveling in countries like Nepal, something as predictable as taking the bus from A to B is always a little more exciting than purchasing a ticket and waiting for the destination!! ;)

Happy journeys! :)
Kristy

Langtang + Tamang Heritage Trail Trekking... beauty!

2007-04-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yaks... I love'em!
Namaste folks!

John and I have spent the couple weeks trekking in the Rasuwa region of Nepal (North of Kathmandu, below the Tibetan border) which was really a neat experience.

We began the trek on a relatively undiscovered region called the Tamang Heritage Trail which is being marketed by Nepal tourism under it's Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program, a more grassroots and culturally sustainable mode of tourism. We spend 5 days trekking and saw only one other tourist which was great. The Tamang people are Tibetan descendants and their culture is quite similar. The women wear dresses with beautifully coloured aprons and multicolour felt hats (the hats are specific to the Tamang). Milet is big, as are potatoes and we sure had our share of Tibetan bread! We stayed in homes and small guest houses, which was a great way to observe and learn a bit about the local culture.

Then we spent the rest of the 10 trekking days is the Langtang area which was quite diverse in its biophysical characteristics, ranging from walks along the river under lush forests with monkeys to glacers and barren landscape with yaks munching away at the existing green. We also ascended Cherko Ri (our smaller version of Everest, with elevation of almost 5000m). The view was absolutely breath taking (or maybe the elevation helped with that feeling!!!), surrounded by blowing prayer flags and white tipped mountains and glaciers- it was sure a memorable experience. We even saw the mountains of Tibet!

Trekking for that long (longer than hikes I've previously done) was definitely humbling and a great way to travel... though we always jumped at occasions to jump into the river to rid ourselves of stench!! (brrr!) and my blisters near the end of the trek gave me the best lesson in patience in my life! But the locals were amazing, always smiling at our attempts at Nepali and Tibetan and it was always a pleasure interacting with them. It was nice to see that tourism is still quite manageable in the region, though in some of the villages, we witnessed some pretty persistent would-be vendors. Unfortunately, I didn't fool them in my Tibetan dress that I actually was a local- I can't quite figure out how I didn't pass under the radar???!! ;)

All in all, a very enjoyable time and great way to see some of the diversity that exists in Nepal.

Namaste and hope everyone is doing well back home!
Your sati (friend),
Kristy

Here are some shots... enjoy! :)

A Terry Fox of Tibet?

2007-04-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

While John and I were getting quite tired of trying to find the New Bus Park yesterday, there was a bit of a crowd coming down one of the main streets in Kathmandu. Here was a Tibetan monk doing full prostrations on a pilgrimage from Tibet for "the benefit of all sentient beings". Prostrations are quite taxing and it was pretty inspiring seeing this man, among the buses, tuk tuks, cars, tractors and bikes that make even crossing the street a challenge!

Needless to say, my mindset completely changed, wiping out any trace of complaints about the heat, polution or the fact that we seemed to be walking for hours!!!

Interesting!

Be well! :)

Kristy

Patan and Newari architecture

2007-04-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

Namaste!

While going through photos to upload, I realized that I skipped over Patan (in the Kathmandu valley) which is a beautiful showcase of Newari architecture, one of the Nepali cultural groups which is predominant in the valley). So here are a few shots...

I was blown away by the detail in the wood carvings surrounding the eves and the windows. I've got lots to learn for sure! Another aspect which I found really interesting is that the buildings are build around a central courtyard where the daily activities of washing clothes, drying out grains and such, and just meeting up with the Jones' occurs. What a great concept, something our big cities have very much overlooked...

Nways, hope the pictures are appreciated! Way too many power outages today, which has made uploading a challenge, so please enjoy! :)

Pheri betola,

Kristy

Namaste on behalf of my friend Buddha

2007-04-16T21:52:00.001-07:00

After a very profound and contemplative 10 day course on Tibetan Buddhism at a gompa, or monastery, far removed from the crazy life of Kathmandu, I feel it's time to add to the blog...

But first, a quote:

Stop.

Be still.

Remain silent.

Meditators should be seen,

Not heard.

Ssshhh.

Still.

All the senses.

Let everything be.

Let go, and let it all

Come to you.

Relax.

Being is in.

Doing it out.

Do nothing.

For a moment

Just be.

Silence

Is golden.

Enjoy.

(Lama Surya Das)

It has been a very interesting week with lots of sitting and meditating and learning amongst the safron robes of the monks and nuns. I have learned a lot about the Buddhist philosophy, which is all about self discovery and developing compassion towards all other beings. Beautiful really, the Dalai Lama is quoted as saying: "Kindness is my religion". And the laughs of the Tibetans is truly as joyful as ever- they can sure light up the room with their smiles and spontaneous laughter. Pretty amazing for a culture that has been so victimized, and still is today.

Lots of profound moments. Namely the notion that our inherent, objective and concrete view of ourselves is an illusion that is real, only by convention (a conceptual reality), but the ultimate reality of all phenomena is emptiness. Not to say that Buddhists take a nihilist attitude towards the reality, but that everything is dependant on everything else and impermanent in nature. This was a profound realization to me, though I don't think I fully grasp the full implications of this ultimate truth, but it made me realize that our attachments to "myself" of "I" is the root of many of our challenges in the world, from war to personal issues we face. Anyways, I'm not claiming to understand all this, but perhaps it's an interesting thing to ponder.

In addition, talk of karma and reincarnation were other topics that came up a lot, that I'm still questioning a lot and meditating on. But I think the biggest lesson for all of us, on which Buddhism is compassion, that we are all dependant and thus will all be happier if we work for the benefit of others.

And living in the moment, of course is a biggie. That I'm really working on, a shift from my very future oriented tendancy. We spent every morning in silence till mid-afternoon and the last few days in silence and doing hardcore analytical meditation on compassion, death, and such. Yikes. Hardcore!

Anyways, in short, a great experience though boy am I tired of thinking and contemplating!!!

But to leave, I will write one more quote:

"One instant of total awareness is one instant of perfect freedom and enlightenment." (The Wisdom Diety, Manjusri)

Peace and greetings to all.

Namaste,

Kristy

This image is a traditional "Puja" or offering to thank Buddha for passing on his wisdom in the main Gompa (temple) at Kopan. Kopan has about 300 or so monks studying there. There is much chanting and food offering (including the very popular instant noodles, biscuits and of course tea!). Oh, and lots of insense! The Tibetans also occasionally sound trupets and the big gong drums as well as cockle shells- not really the most harmonious sound in the world, but it's pretty cool considering the context! ... I'm always amazed that the students, even the little monks, can sit for over an hour when my feet go to sleep in like 10 minutes!!! ...

From dredlocks to well, just more dreadlocks and traffic!

2007-04-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

After spending about a week in Pokhara, by the lake, John and I are recharged and well ready for some Kathmandu time again. This morning we visited the India Embassy to try to get visas for India (which is quite the process and we'll have to go twice more to get it all sorted out!) and are now preparing for our course on Tibetan Buddhism.

I'm quite enjoying learning more and more about life in Nepal and any opportunity I get to see the non-touristy version, I'm game. Eating with one hand, I've discovered, is much more fun that using cutlery, and I much prefer public transportation. Though if I could get away with not wearing sunscreen like the locals, I'd be much happier!! :)

Not much else to report, besides lots of learning, exploring and taking in all the sights. Just wanted to include a short blog to keep somewhat current. So interesting here and looking forward to our upcoming adventures.

Many cheers,
And Namaste (of course!)
Kristy :)

Alive and doing well!

2007-03-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Namaste folks back home! :)

John and I have returned to Pokhara, one of the major cities in Nepal where hippies abound after about 3 weeks or so in Nangi, where we have spent the time volunteering (or at least claiming to be volunteers!). It has been quite an interesting past while and I'm sitting here on the computer trying to figure out how best to sum up my experiences.

Firstly, Nangi is quite a remote village about a 9 hour trek (give or take a few hours depending on packs and such) from a city called Beni, which is accessible by motor vehicle. It's situated on the peak of a smaller mountain with the Annapurna mountains as a backdrop (stunning). We stayed at the school where the Nangi community spirit is quite impressive- the Nepali people are always game for conversation with lots of smiles and giggles (especially when our Nepali runs out and the conversation is a little more awkward!!) and we made plenty of friends with the teachers and students. We also had the chance to try to master Nepalese cooking (Daal bhat- rice and lentils) which despite consciously cooking in fewer pots than the Nepali folks, wasn't too bad! I'll be ordering lentils and rice in bulk form from now on in Canada. Oh, and have even tried to master the Nepali way of eating- with our right hand (even John who is naturally left handed is looking quasi-pro, or at least not too laughable!!). :)

Despite not doing much actual "volunteering" (the power was out for weeks and the students were busy studying for their final exams), we were quite fortunate to be adopted as sati-haru (friends) by the locals and enjoyed many opportunities:

Highlights include hiking for a few days to a place called Kohpra, just below the snowline, where they have a week long yak festival in which the locals drink the blood of a yak for medicinal purposes. You know what they say... "when in Rome..." Yes, I ended up tasting a little bit, cause how often do we have the opportunity to do so in Canada. It was warm and salty and a little egg-like tasting and stuggled to keep it down. There was no way I was going to down the cup!! We camped in one of the stables where we spent much time getting warmed up and woke up the next day to a white morning accompanied by buffalo in the stable! We also had the opportunity to try "Roxi", the local brew of millet to warm up (which does the trick quite well- it's strong stuff!) and yak meat and soup. hmmmm, hmmmm!

We also were invited to the school staff picnic which featured a goat roast (oh, so much goat!) with no part going to waste! There was much meat passed around (I got a chance to refresh my anatomy... hmmm, yummy!!) and also more roxi. But the dancing and singing was classic- lots of fun. Though I'm sure I'm one of the worst dancers anywhere, John and I joined the festivities. Unfortunately John got some on film- so I'll be trying to snag his camera one of these days!!! :p From 10am to nightfall, we dances and sang up a storm while the children played with the rhododedrum flowers (oh, Grandma have I got some pictures of rhododedrums for you- they are trees here!!). Then the group headed to a teachers house after the sun set where more meat was shared, and yup- more dancing and singing!! John and I were beat and finally headed back home for some good'ol shut eye!

We also made friends with some of the students and enjoyed a homestay one evening and they also cooked for us in the student accomodations (a hut shared among a pair of students). It was neat to share pictures and try out some more dancing (which was rewarded by many giggles).

Besides trekking, exploring and chatting it up with our Nepali friends, we did manage to hold a couple conversation classes with the "class 10's" (the girls are SOOOO shy!!) and went on a few excusions with the older man who runs the plant nursery. One of which was into the jungle (a sacred forest that is protected) in which we saw a Hindu temple and many smaller temples errected for lamas which have passed on, as well as orchids and lots of rhododendrums which I mentioned above.

What a wirlwind of an entry... we spent the past few days in a village called Baglum (with cars and much noise!!- not used to that at all!!) with a sati, Hira, where there was a celebration of Desai. We went to the Hindi temple where many many people were praying and worshiping and I joined the rest of the community by taking a red tikka on my forehead. It was great not to see any other tourists, though we received many stares as we walked by. The city was celebrating with carnival rides and a cultural program (singing and dancing- of course!!), as well as a volleyball competition. With the help of Hira's wife, I had a kurta (traditional Nepalese dress) made, which is bright red and now I'm regretting my choice of a bright colour, but was swayed by all the zillion other red dresses at the time and it didn't seem so bright!!! :)

Alas, that takes us back to Pokhara where the first thing we did was bathe! You wouldn't believe how good it feels after 3 weeks of stinkiness!! I don't think I have ever smelled laundry that bad in my life!! It's also strange to see tourists, but Pokhara is at least a lot more laid back than Kathmandu so it's an appreciated transition.

Wow, I feel like I've written a book and yet there are so many things I've forgotten... save some for stories later. We will be spending a few days in Pokhara while John renews his visa and then we will return to Kathmandu (Bodhnath) where we will be learning about Tibetan Buddhism (yup, I'll be returning much enlightened, I'm sure!!!) and then doing some trekking! We're also considering going down to explore Northern India...

Pheri batola ("see you later!").

Much love and smiles and all that good stuff! :)

Your sati (friend), Kristy

Bodha!

2007-03-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

Namaste!

Boudha or Bodhnath is definitely a pretty spectacular spot. Not too far from Kathmandu is distance, however is quite a nice retreat from the business of the big city. The area is home to exiled Tibetans and is filled with the maroons of the traditional garb of monks all over the city. Central to the Buddhist character of the place is the Bodhnath Stupa, a huge white temple, a dome-like structure atop a square base. There are Buddha eyes near the top and of course, prayer flags and bright coloured murals everywhere. It is pretty neat to join the Buddhists circumabulate the stupa, surrounded by a miriad of maroons, chanting and prayer wheels and beads (ooh, and insense as well). Pretty cool, you can't help but feel a little enlightened!

We also ventured up to Kapan, a Buddhist monastery not too far from Boudha. There are monasteries all over the place, beautiful buildings with stunning murals and gold relics. Kapan offers introductory courses in Buddhism that John and I are considering as it would be a neat spot to learn about the belief system.

It's been a pretty interesting visit thus far and I am completely mesmerized by the sites/sounds/smells here. It's hard to translate into text, but hopefully I've managed to describe it not too poorly... Pictures hopefully will help, but both John and I have been reluctant to take too many, as we find ourselves getting caught up in the experience of it all, but we will try!!

Hope all is well at home! :)

I think it's appropriate to end on... may peace be with you!
Kristy

The above image is Bodhnath Stupa, a huge structure which the Tibetans circumabulate to accumulate merit and good karma. It's pretty neat getting wrapped up in the crowd in the morning at during the evening, with hand-held prayer wheels being twirled around and prayer beads being handled. The wheels on the right hand photo are payer wheels and they have inscribed matras which are rotated counter clockwise. They are found all over the place... the most common inscription in "Om many padme hum" (which means roughly: "Om and salutations to the jewel of the mind that has reached the lotus of the heart", referring to aquiring both wisdom and universal compassion to all sentient beings).

Boudha!!

2007-03-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

Delayed, but safe entry into Kathmandu!

2007-03-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

Namaste folks back at home!!

(I just wrote a quite elegant and well thought blog, or well, at least according to a quite jet lagged mind... but apparently it didn't go through... so here's to take 2)

I've arrived safely in Kathmandu after a few bouts of flying chaos (including a winter storm in TO that caused some delays, hanging out in London awaiting flight details, and finally an unexpectant evening in Doha, Qatar, filled with half-hazzard sleep and lots of confused travellers) but it's all good and some international friends were made!

Anyways, now to Kathmandu! It's quite a happening place with vehicle beeps, people, curios and temples of plenty! I've successfuly met up with my friend John, without too much trouble at all! He was just recovering from a festival called Holi, for which the Nepali people through coloured water balloons to celebrate the death of an evil goddess (so I understand) and there are many colourful remnants (and people) still visible throughout. Sounds like good fun! I'm thinking perhaps Canada should adopt a few more festival days! :)

We ventured on a walking tour today to Durbar Square, apparently a heritage site which is filled with beautiful and very colourful temples. The intracracies (please blame my lack of spelling on jet lag, vertigo... conveninently perhaps for the rest of my blog entries!!) of the building architecture is quite stunning and a lot of it is carved out of wood (which makes my work quite bland really- hopefully I'm being inspired!). We even spotted a few monkey friends up in the trees.

After the Square, armed with the Lonely Planet (so of course knowing all we need to know about our new home!), we decided to stroll through the older and less touristy part of Kathmandu. Here and there and way off the map, it was neat to see all the shops, streets, people that characterize the urban landscape of Kathmandu. We are staying in Thamel, where most international people stay, so it was neat to see the contrast between touristy and not so much.

Now I'm quite tired and am looking forward to my bed! The temperatures here range from quite cold at night to t-shirt weather in the day time, so I'm glad I packed my fleece! There's also an abundance of "North Face" gear, so I'm sure we won't get cold!!

Well, hope everything is going well at home! Hope the snow isn't causing too many troubles and perhaps is even skiiable! :)

Namaste!
Kristy

ps. If anyone needs any Tiger Balm, apparently this is the place to find it as it is sold on almost every street corner. I could hook you up... good price! ;)

My bags are (almost) packed... I'm (nearly) ready to go...

2007-02-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm not really standing outside anyone's door either...

Hmmm, perhaps I need a new theme song for the next few days!!!

Anyways, hello folks!
Just thought a blog was needed to share my upcoming travel plans since I suppose that's what these types of technologies are good at...

For those of you that don't know the goods yet, I'm leaving Thusday evening for a 3 1/2 month trip to Nepal and Northern India. I'm meeting up with John, a friend of mine from this side of the country, in Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal) where we will travel up to a rural community called Nangi. John has spend the last month or so volunteering here. The community has set up a high school and various other community-based projects like a agricultural nursery and micro-enterprise ventures. I plan to volunteer for about 3 weeks or so and hope to learn l about the local culture as well as share any skills that I have that would be of benefit to the locals.

For those of you that are wondering, I met John through volunteering here in Halifax at the Grainery and it so turned out that he was leaving for Nepal. And well, that being a dream of mine for too long now, I was quite tempted to join him. Weighing out my adult responsibilities of work vs. travelling, and trying to come to a decision wasn't easy. In the end, I decided to go for it as travelling with a trustworthy and compatible person is a definite plus and knowing how things happen, my original plans of travelling Fall 07 could be easily bumped by any other interesting opportunity. Funny how the world turns...

Nangi is located in the Himalayas on the Anapurna circuit, which we are planning to trek once we leave from Nangi. It is relatively high up with an elevation of about 2300m and they just got a bunch of snow that has left them out of power. Though compared with Everest and the other 7 mountains in Nepal that are among the top 10 in the world, this should be a piece of cake!! (?!?)

I have elluded to trekking above, which we will spend much of our time in Nepal doing. We have read up and talked to many folks and it seems to be a great place to test out the hiking boots! Apparently, one can easily spend 21 days trekking the Anapurna circuit! It is also a transport route so there are lots of very economical accomodations available in tea houses. (yes, for my dearly loved parents and grandparents out there, I am fully imunized against too many pathogens to mention here and also am stocked with a first aid kit of medications and goodies, and a water purifying system... thank you for your concern though!! xox)

We are also hoping to travel down into the Kashmir region of India. I have been quite interested in this region of the world for a long time, coincidently, so has John, so depending on climate and accessibility, we look forward to our adventures there.

Other than this, the trip is really an open book. I'm excited to be challenged to learn about other ways of knowing and be exposed to cultures and landscapes that I have been interested in for years now.

I'm quite excited and hope to update this blog every now and then so as to keep you folks somewhat informed. I make no promises, however, as I'm not sure how accessibly internet access will be once we move on from major cities in Nepal. But please check back every now and then and I will be eager to share stories and pictures upon our return!

Much love and all that jaz! Or, perhaps "Namaste" is more appropriate! (by the way, the word Namaste apparently means "I salute the good in you"... how cool!)

Kristy :)

ps. On a slightly less interesting note, my good friend vertigo has decided to make packing and arranging last minute details a little more challenging than ideal, and is back to visit me again. I have rested now for 2 days, delaying wrapping up and sharing my goodbyes to the great folks at Environment Canada. I'm hoping that I will be 100% for my Thursday evening flight and have a few more things to arrange before then, but time will tell. In any case, I hope this blog is somewhat coherent and not as dizzy in words as I feel in real life! My appologies if clarity seems to be lacking...

Fundraising success

2007-02-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

Hi friends and dreamers!

After a slew of fundraising activities over a busy February, I'm excited to say that about $1600 has been raised for my participation in the Maritime Otesha Cycling and Environmental Education tour this summer.

Here is a run-down of the events:
1. Valentine's Choco-gram activity at work
Organic and fair-trade chocolate with personalized greetings cards were made available for purchase and distributed through our internal mail system. It proved to be a fun way to recognize colleagues as well as an opportunity to bring home some very tasty chocolate for loved ones! At $3 a peice, it was a deal for both sides!

2. Greeting cards
I printed 6 different prints for greeting cards and sold them for $10/6. They were super popular (who knew I could draw?) and since they were environmentally-inspired, were a perfect fit for an Otesha fundraiser.

3. 1-sided recycled notebooks
Searching around for a good supply of one-sided recycled paper proved to be quite a challenge, but in the end, the books (with some of my art designs on the front) looked pretty good. They sold for $5 each and hopefully will inspire some folks to make use of the extra side before tossing used paper into the blue bin!

4. Pub night at the Celtic Corner in Dartmouth
For $15 a ticket, friends were able to enjoy a burger and beer at a local Irish Pub that has terrific service and great ambiance. 30 people showed up and we enjoyed music from two friends, Mike and Shane, who jammed it up including some Bob Marley Beats.

In addition, I sold some of my original framed artwork as well as a 50/50 at the pubnight. Cyclesmith, a local bike dealer, donated a couple of certificates for bike maintenance packages (very generous) and Mountain Equipment Co-op sponsored me by donating all sorts of goodies, including water bladders, bottles, bike bells, a reflective vest and other door prizes.

All in all, it was well worth the effort and hopefully the Otesha message will continue to spread through Halifax. Lots of people were enthusiastic about it, which is a great side-effect of fundraising!

Thanks to all the fine folks that supported and encouraged me! :) I'll definitely speak more of Otesha as the summer progresses, but now it's time to focus on my travels to Nepal and India!

Cheerios folks!
Lots of bicycle grease and smiles!

Kristy :)

Curling... who knew it was a hip thing to do!!

2007-02-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings folks!

So, I'm slowly being introduced to the winter culture in Halifax and apparently curling is the thing to do! 40 of us colleagues took the afternoon off (hey, even federal public servants need a break once in a while!!! ;) to go to the curling rink!

It's actually a pretty tough sports (for all those that have never played), which kinda squashed my stereotyped curler of a 100 year old men sport! I kept either wipping the rock way past the circle/target thing of barely getting it 1/2 down the ice (more the former cause I'm such a strong dude!!). And try staying up without putting your knee down as you slide- impossible, I swear!! As a result, I actually came home with a bruised knee! It's hardcore this curling stuff, I tell ya!!

But in the end, our team, lead by a great skip one our game and actually scored the most points out of all the other teams!! Nice work! I think I scored 1 out of the 9 points we skored, but it's a team effort right (there are 4 to a team)! :P

So, anyways, next year I want to join a league and rip up the Halifax ice! :)

Here are some shots of action and our team!
Enjoy and definitely sign yourself up for a try!! :)

Expedition Halifax 2007

2007-02-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Cause isn't this the place where all extreme skiiers flock??
Well, at least Amy (my roommate and expedition partner) and I did...

We departed from the White House, our new Halifax ski-in ski-out Chalet on a sunny Sunday morning after celebrating Amy's birthday over brunch. The expedition team (Amy and I) first had a few warm up laps around the Halifax common (watch out for those baseball diamonds and pavement walking paths!) to prep for our next undertaking: Halifax's landmark, the Citadel. Dum, dum, dummmmm!

Amy was joking that although the avalance hazard is nil, the traffic is a little daunting at the 6 way intersection, but team Halifax Extreme prevailed and we made it across to the Citadel.

After seeking out maximum vertical and snowback (about 1cm in the best of times), Amy hit the slope like a pro, with years of experience as a ski instructor in the Rockies definitely showing. I on the other hand, was a little wobbly on my cross country skiis and tango'ed a few times with a big ice batch, but despite the future bruising, we ripped up the commons inspired by the imaginary bagpipes in our heads!

The first image is Amy showin' off some skill and Kristy peeing her pants as the cars parked on the side of the road were approaching with a little too much speed...

So good times in Halifax all around... you Westcoast Whistler bums are definitely missing out on the action!!

Happy trails to you all! :)
Your Expedition Halifax team member,
Kristy

Kristy's venture into the artistic realm

2007-01-26T02:27:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks!

Though, I strictly would like to state, that this is very different from being an artist...
you'll see! ;)

Here are some shots of some art projects that I've been working on. The first is a carving I gave my dear roomates Erin and Andrew for Christmas, the other guys are just doodles (I'll have to post some others, cause these aren't my favourites... but that requires more energy at 6am in the morning!!) ... these are 2 of my new favourite hobbies! Oh! And I've recently started taking a woodworking class (with power machines- ho ho ho!!) and am making a box with a terrifically enthusiastic colleague of mine. Yup, 23 (well, almost 24) turning 90 or so!

Enjoy! :)

Sun rise, sun set... does it at all matter?

2007-01-26T02:21:00.000-08:00

I was once asked whether this drawing represents a rising or setting sun… I don’t the question was ever fully answered, however while walking home today I started thinking about it. Does there really need to be a difference? In our Western culture, we are bombarded by dualisms: black/white, good/bad, child/adult, etc. Using the sun as an example, a sunrise simultaneously leads to a sunset in a different locale, and of course a setting sun always follows a rising one, and vice versa. It got me thinking about our position amongst all this flux, of life’s changes and opportunities. Software programmer to volunteer in Nepal, or Vancouverite to Haligonian (trying hard to burn the CFA label), seemingly opposites in many ways, but perhaps unifying in a holistic sense as these experiences in part define our present identities.

Perhaps this is a tenuous and poorly articulated thought process, but the only way to reconcile such contradictions, it seems to me, is to achieve some measure of balance- the whole yin and yang phenomenon. The balance comes from living in the present. In this instantaneous state, it’s futile to ask whether the sun is rising or setting- it’s just there as its luminous self despite what has gone on in the past or what will subsequently happen. Perhaps this is what the Buddhists are trying to achieve, a state of mind where the past and the future define what is, but their exact details cease to matter, “now” is just what it is… the balance achieved by a single moment of time, infinitely complex and often overlooked by a tendency to determine “what will” or “what has”, but in a sense, our only true reality.

Did I mention I'm going to Nepal

2007-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

After WAY too many sleepless nights trying to decide on whether to cease an opportunity to travel to Nepal (and most likely Northern India) with a new friend of mine, I've made up my mind. Nepal it is!!! I'm quite excited, but due to me being sick and just tired from too many sleepless nights (I'm the worst decision maker on the planet!!), I think I'll have to elaborate next blog.

Sorry for being such a tease, but quality over expedience is my brand new moto...

I guess I'm just adapting the commercial break to the world wide web! After these messages.... we'll be right back! :) ...

Kristy's Nova Scotia home

2007-01-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

Now that I've successfully applied for a NS health care card (the "Medical Services Insurance" card doesn't have the same ring as the BC Care Card, but I'll get used to it...), I figure that this has indeed become a second home.

So, here is my new home address:

2359 Agricola Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 4B7
(902) 422-6429

So, there you have it for all that were asking for my address. Now if only I kept better records of all your guys' addresses in Van!!! :)

Kristy, meet -19oC (27oC with windchill) temps! :)

2007-01-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

Who knew a gortex raincoat over a down jacket and 2 layers of wool was overkill?...

So, my usual 35 minute walk to work was perhaps a little extended today considering that I could barely move due to all the clothes I was wearing… A head to toe recap:

2 hats
Belaclava
Wool scarf
2 layers of wool shirts
MEC down jacket
Gortex raincoat
Cross country ski gloves
Wind/waterproof outer glove layer
Long underwear
Fleece pants
Gortex rainpants
Winter boots

Phew, exercise just getting all of it on (I really need to take a picture cause it's quite a scene!)!! But by the time I was on the bridge, where even despite the windchill and the frozen eyelashes, I was hot and starting to sweat! I was thinking… "Boy, Nova Scotia, is that all you've got??"!! Actually, before I get all cocky and such, I did rip down the sidewalk on my bum on a patch of ice, which was quite embarassing, but luckily no one's out and about at 6:20am. :) I'm sure my little Westcoast ass will get more where that came from.

So, now I'm thinking that perhaps I don't need the extra belaclava, pair on long underwear and leg warmers that I packed in my bag, just in case…

On for more adventures! :)
Tonight… a Orienteering event in the chil-ly night time… stay tuned! :)

Cheers and stay warm folks!
Kristy

An email from a proud American

2007-01-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

So, I bought some "One less car" bike stickers for my current fundraising activities, and the supplier guy (who is American) wrote me this in his email (for the context, he was asking about my use of "cheers" to sign off emails). Pretty extreme, so I thought I'd share. You've gotta kind of feel for the Americans who aren't being even remotely accurate represented by their country's policies...

nways, here it goes...

"I thought "cheerio" was just another Brit version of
"cheers", but used for for signing off a letter, whereas "cheers" is
what you say when making a toast in a bar, restaurant, lounge, indoors
or out, anywhere, anytime, (and for almost) anything. By the way, that
("Anywhere Anytime Anything") is the title of a compilation CD of many
of Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn's best songs over a three
decade career. Some of my favourite (public/famous) people are from
that great northern dominion. Your flag is a badge of honor, whereas
ours is a mark of shame (which is why so many American travelers to
other parts of the globe purposely wear a Canadian maple leaf flag
patch sewn on their backpack or jacket sleeve. It is a helpful
deception to try to "pass for Canadian" rather than a member of our
arrogant, self-indulgent, condescending, narcissistic, militaristic,
zenophobic, under-educated, angry, out-of-control, TV & shopping
addicted, mesmerized by violence of all forms, bullying, insecure,
raucous, apathetic, bloated, windbag of pseudo-ideas, fast food, Last
Superpower, dying empire of a nation that we, the privileged of USA
were born into. It's a burden to be the in flesh representative of
such a fear, despised, loathsome empire. I got pretty carried away
trying to elaborate on the hideous underbelly of my country's bad
points. It's good points are many of its people. Among its bad points
are (alas) many (OK, some) of its people.(the ones who chant like
neanderthals: "U-S-A! U-S-A!" with rising hostility and
foaming-at-the-mouth mad dog fervor while waving their little plastic
Made In China U-S-A flags at football games and while they
counter-demonstrate against peace vigils, rallies, actions. Oh, I
could elaborate, but it gets to be self-indulgent just thinking about
and bemoaning my less-informed, less-intelligent, more
racist-sexist-homophobic, pseudo-"patriotic" citizens f the shrinking
pro-Bush, pro-war, SUV-lovin', BASCAR race cheerleading fellow, duped
and programmed Americans."
– [on-line supplier guy] (who should be doing more constructive things at the moment)

And since we're on the topic of cooking... :p

2007-01-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

I'm down on thematics (from all the joyful data analysis crap, I mean "stuff", I've been working on...)

Another occasion of the unfortunate person trying to make dinner, occurred back around Christmas time. The hungry soul got home from a data-analysis type day (oh, joyful, joyful times!) and was quite hungry. So the at this point, the hungry person trying to make dinner decided to steam up some seasonal vegetables, so she turned the oven on to preheat. Well, soon enough, the hungry person trying to make dinner turned around and smoke was POURING out of the oven and taking over the kitchen. In addition, the 2 [insert word "bloody" here...] smoke alarms decided to chime in and join the party! So the hungry and now terrified person trying to make dinner freaked out and opened up the oven to find a roomate's Christmas bread loaf blackened to a crisp. The now-coal-like loaf soon was flipped into the back yard and the hungry and terrified person trying to make dinner (but practically dying from smoke inhalation) frantically tried to turn the smoke alarms off, but was too short [exclamations not suitable for PG blogs would be otherwise inserted here]…. After a while of this kind of chaos, the practically dying, hungry and terrified ex-cook paced back and forth through the house trying to figure out how to tell her roomate about the roasted bread loaf sitting in the backyard in the pouring rain.

In the end, the loaf was just a trial run and Amy, the roomate didn't really care about its wellbeing. But the still-frantic but recovering, still hungry and terrified ex-cook learned even more lessons that day (like perhaps cooking just isn't her thing) and now always checks the oven for randoms before turning it on.

But as Kristy, I'd like to say that I, on the other hand, really am a good cook and people comment on my meals and leftovers all the time! It's unfortunate in this world of telecommunication that I can't attach some reference letters to this blog, so you'd actually believe me, but you're just going to have to come to Halifax to judge for yourself! :) Consider yourselves invited!!

All's for now.
Kristy

Did I mention I'm a cook??

2007-01-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes, something I’ve been meaning to add to my blog. An interesting story that I send out to a buddy of mine a while back that was a little entertaining…

The background of this email chunk is that whenever I cook, I inevitably make way too much and end up having left-overs for days. And since I cook usually every night (unless I still have stuff left from the previous night), it builds up so I thought I’d be a nice person (like I pretend to be) and give some carrot-cashew nut loaf and roasted vegetables to a buddy of mine in Halifax since I thought they were tasty.

I’m responding to his comment that it was good, but the texture was strange. I totally didn’t think about this before giving it to him, since vegetarian food generally is a little different texture wise.

Then I thought back to making in, here’s my reply…

“I'm glad you can stomach it! Yah, I agree, the carrot cashew thing was a little weird, texture wise. I think I may know why... Once upon a time, an enthusiastic, but not always on the ball, cook decided to make a new recipe. Since this enthusiastic cook was in a new kitchen where vegetables are steamed using a pot and a strainer, she happily constructed the make shift strainer and placed in carrots for a hopefully soon-to-be delicious nut loaf. Well, no sooner did the enthusiastic cook sit down after washing the dishes while waiting for the carrots to steam, did she smell smoke. Oh, no! So the enthusiastic cook (maybe you've realized by now that the word "cook" my be overly optimistic- perhaps "person attempting to cook dinner" is a better term- further more, enthusiastic is no longer true, so that word needs to be adjusted as well) rushed into the kitchen where the make shift steamer was smoking- not steaming. So the poor person attempting to cook dinner quickly learned that it's very important to use lots of water when steaming vegetables. She also learned that it sucks to destroy friends' pots and that new pots are quite expensive. So, ending on a Disney note, though the no-longer-so-optimistic person attempting to cook dinner had to settle with not-quite cooked carrots for her new recipe, it was a somewhat happy day in the sense that many lessons were learned that evening. For the record, I'm, I mean the despaired person attempting to cook dinner, is not always such a clutz, just may appear that way in too many circumstances...”

Oh, the lessons in life… :)

Introducing the Otesha Project (duh, duh, duh-duh!!)

2007-01-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

Howdy!!

I've gotta put a plug in for this, not just cause I'm doing it (which in itself means it must be cool, eh? Relative to buying new bike tires eh Kristy?... It's all relative at this point…!!) but because it's a really cool thing. So please, bear with me...

The Otesha project is a grassroots and youth-based environmental outreach and education group that does cycling tours using creative skits and presentations to promote the ideas of sustainability and social justice. I'm a member of the 2007 Cycling Tour and Presentation team - Maritimes region! That means in the summer (July 1st to the end of August), I'll be cycling in a mobile community made up of about 15-20 other Canadian youth.

What is really cool about this project, in addition to the fact that it blends cycling and environmental education, which are awesome, is that this group really walks (or should I say cycle) the talk! We will be eating as much local and organic foods as possible, the Otesha team shirts are all printed on re-used shirts, and the Otesha policies are also very though-through to ensure that their practices are as green as can be. As Kermit the frog said, it's not easy being green, perhaps, but it definitely can be done and is not really all that difficult if we consider our small everyday choices and what a difference they can make. That's the basic premise of the Otesha project right there, we will be using consumerism and all the things we do on a regular bases to show how simple things add up to make a significant positive difference to our good old buddy, the planet!

Anyways, I'm currently in the midst of planning fundraising activities including a pub night (since I live in Halifax after all!), a bowlerama, making recycled 1-sided notebooks with some of my art on the title page, some greetings cards with KW's nifty designs on the front and writing letters to environmental organizations and companies that may want to support me and the team. A lot of work really, but could be a lot of fun as well (and hopefully fruitful!)

Nways, no more selling this project, cause I'm sure it must be sold! Plus, I'm sure you'll be reading much more about it in the near future as the tour dates come up.

Cheerios and have a love-the-environment kind of day! :) (I think working at Environment Canada is really getting to my blood!...)

Kristy

It's beginning to feel a lot like winter...

2007-01-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you go… do do do-do

The barometer indicated that it was -7oC this morning down from იoC a little while back and the fingers sure felt it! But no snow yet- the West though sure has their share. I'm convinced that Zoom can handle the cold and the snow, but the ice makes the poor little guy cringe.

So, maybe in the next episode of Kristy's all-so exciting (the joys of domesticity) life… new tires for Zoom! :)

I know, I really keep you guys on the edge of your seats eh…!!! I'm really trying to live life on the edge, but (can I say "bloody" on the world wide web…?) data analysis doesn't lend itself well to that type of thing.

Nways, more adventures to come… I can only hope!!! :)

Cheerios folks!
Kristy

ps. I'll add pics of a decked out cyclist later. It's kinda fun wearing pretty much as many layers possible that will still allow my to move! ;)

It's beginning to look a lot like ... Vancouver!

2007-01-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

Hello West coast home!

All in all, and A class visit. Got to catch up with lots a friends, had a fantastic time with my family and 2 year old Mylene (my 2nd cousin who's tooooo cute!), my immediate family, who are so much more lovable than I remember them... what happened??? ;)

But I'll start from the top... Boy was it exhilirating to see the Rockies from the plane. Funny, you really miss their presence when you're gone. I was practically jumping up and down from my seat on the edge of the middle row of the plane. I think the people next to me thought I was seizuring! But they're beauties!

Back at the Williams' home, then Gingerbread bake-a-thon day! Though we didn't get as many cookies done as in the past, it was a great chance to catch up with buddies who I haven't seen in too long, and hear stories of those who are away. It was pretty cool..

Even Dad partook in the festivities!

And got to eat yummy sushi and even Dim Sum!!! Yum, yum! How I missed my ethnic foods while in Halifax. Did I mention on a previous post that I tried eating sushi here one night... They put hot sauce on the salmon sashimi????!!! To disguise the taste of atlantic farmed salmon...??? I don't want to know. So that was awesome!

Then Christmas, seeing aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, little ones, dogs, singing Santa Clauses and all! We all had a great time. I have my grandparents a carving from a fallen branch of the Halifax Commons, the public space of Halifax, as a spirit stick. My uncle said "a great hobby for a tree hugger". And yes, it is, thank you very much.. but I prefer "air snuggle" these days... :)

Then Silver Star!!! Yahoo! I don't remember a funner family holiday! It's about our 10th time going up and had a blast. Dad and I hit the cross country ski slopes (mastered the blacks, may I add... with a feather in the hat and a snowy bum!!!) and discovered a few uncharted trails (a yearly tradition in itself) while Mom and Bry relaxed and enjoyed themselves too! For as long as I remember, New Year's eve has consisted of celebrating Mom's new year's bday, so goodtimes all around with the fam!

So, a great 2007 Christmas! So good in fact, that it made me wonder why I was coming back to halifax... dum, dum, dummmmmmmm.

But that will have to wait for another blog, cause time for bed! :)
Night! :)

Before the storm... or should I say Vancouver

2007-01-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

Either way, really... they both seem to be synonomous these days...

Anyways, this blog should have been written a while back, about 3 or so weeks to be exact, but a year gone by... whatever, it's going to happen. And happen now it will. And plus, now that I know that this blog is actually read by some loyal friends, than it inspires me all the more to update it more than once a month or so. We'll see how long this inspiration lasts, since it is the end of the first week in January, after all.

So, please bare with me... The day was Dec 21st, 2006 (don't worry, the next couple blogs should take us up to this year), and was my last day at work before my flight back to Vancouver for Christmas and all that good stuff. I decided that since I was still riding my bike and/or walking to work with quite mild temperatures, did I mention it was almost Christmas...?, that I'd take a few pics of my walk and day to give a glimpse into the life of me (which isn't that exciting, but I felt like being an acting-photographer for the day)... Here she is:

So, here she is... my little Halifax from MacDonald (of course) bridge that I commute over everyday. Beautiful views, but it also gets very windy, after all, this is the Atlantic ocean. The pic on the left shows the skyline, what maybe 10 or so large highrises. :) I love it! And the pic on the right is the Halifax Navy base, with all their boats. I was hoping to pass a Navy guy dressed in motif with a Timy's coffee in one hand while going over the bridge, but no such luck, although any other day, I would have been pleased!

Anyways, the next 2 are from work- my view and desk. Wow, my life is so interesting... this is why I don't blog that often!!! :)

Yup, I've got a map so I know where the hell I am and when people talk about somewhere in the maritimes, I don't stand out as much as a dreaded CFA (Come from Away), that's what they call us... That's why I feel so guilty that I'm not a huge fan of Keith's beer... it's a HUGE no-no in this part of the world!!!

Anyways, sorry for the boring post... I promise I'll try to live more on the wildside in the future!! Stay tuned kids! :)

HA- HA- ha-ha-ha!!! :D

2006-11-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

So some colleagues and friends and I attended the Halifax Laughing Club tonight. Yes, please double read that once or twice or how ever many times until you've digested what strange things Halifax offers! A laughing club, an interesting concept, we thought so to as we entered a room full of strangers... It was all kind of weird!

There were 2 facilitators that seemed to be quite serious about the whole thing and about 25 of us. The went through dozens of laughing exercises, some of them really funny, and some of them having us looking at each other and just laughing because of the ridiculousarity (I know that isn't a word, but in this context, that doesn't much matter, cause well, we're talking about a laughing club...!) of it all! There were a half dozen people that just killed us cause their laughing was so contagious! I definitely had tears on more than one occasion!

I kept on thinking about the grand scheme of this. A laughing club? And that's what was funny. But the facilitators, as I said were crazy serious. Apparently they were celebrating their 1 year anniversary of the club and had cupcakes and stuff- kind of cute!

So, in case you've been wondering what I've been doing with my time in Halifax- wonder no more!... Cause I've joined Halifax's Athletic Laughing Club- maybe a cult, maybe a crazed fad, but good for a few laughs for sure! :)

So laughs and smiles all around folks! :D

kw

Vancouverites= snow hogs ;)

2006-11-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Helllooooo folks!

No, I'm not complaining, just a little bitter I guess that Vancouver is getting snow before we are here in Halifax! What's with that?!!

Though I can't say I'm jealous of their recent weather since while last week we were enjoying sunshine and temperatures up to 20oC, folks back home were faced with rain and wind warnings, blackouts and boil water recommendations. But back to the snowy white stuff for a second here... Vancouver is supposed to be wet this time of year, whereas I keep on dreaming of the images I've seen in Halifax tour books, of Tim Horton addicts (in other words, any and all Nova Scotians) walking in for their cup of joe!

Maybe I'll hold off on my snowshoe purchase for the time being!

All this seemingly backwardness has made me think about plans, how sometimes we opt for A for B to get away from a, but in the end, B has more than a or less of what caused us to chose B over A. It's crazy really. In our modern lifestyles, it's so easy to move across the country, or even to the other side of the globe. But with all these possibilities, is one place better than another, or is it just how you make it? Is it worth establishing deep roots in one place, or adapting a more mobile arrangement, allowing one to pursue opportunities elsewhere?

Everyone keeps on asking when I'll go back home, as if it's the natural thing to do. To be quite honest, I'm not too sure what my plans are. Sure, BC is a great province with lots of things to see and do- I particularly miss our big giant trees and mountains, and of course that's where my family is and the bulk of my friends. Funny, I refer to the trees and mountains as "ours", but I'm not 100% convinced that I will choose to go back and "settle" there... does anyone really know?

Que sera, sera - as the saying goes- words of wisdom if you ask me...

Maybe I'll just start cutting snowflakes out of recycled paper for decoration... !!

out
kw

Farewell little Pamster...

2006-11-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

On a not so cheery note, Penny, the happiest, most loyal and trusting Golden Retriver was put to rest last week. After nearly 15 years of pets, walks and lots of love, it was with heavy hearts that Mom, Dad and Bry took her to the vet to be put down.

Though it is a tough time for the Williams' family and those that loved Penny, it helps to remember her by reflecting on our happy memories, of which there were plenty. Her favourite activities were breakfast and dinner time (she had Dad wrapped around her little paws), walkies consisting of greeting her human friends and squirrel hunts (she always got excited when Mom put on her purple walking suit), rolls in the snow and on anything smelly (i.e. treasures on the beach), ropy tug-a-wars with Bry and I, swimming after ducks, and ice cream cones on her January birthday.

She was always willing to please (well, except for the first few years of dog training- she sure did have a curious side) and her love of play and attention could put a smile on your face any day. She was the best pet anyone could have asked for and we were truly lucky to share so many good times with her as a family. She will certainly be remembered with a tear and a smile by all those who loved her (which could be said for all those that met her).

Below is the last picture taken of Penny getting ready to greet the kids for Halloween...
Run like the wind little love...

Yikes, Kristy, you there??!

2006-10-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hello there!!! :)

Sorry for the HUGE delay in my posts! I haven't really disappeared in person, as much as it would seem online...

So, where was I?

A lot has happened here in Halifax since my last post. Well, to begin with, I'm loving Halifax (no, that's not new). It's fun to be somewhat starting from scratch, living on my own (with great roomates) searching for work all over a totally new city, exploring the local hangouts and now settling into a new job.

Wait a sec, I'll provide some details. So, we live on Agricola Street, which is right next to Halifax Commons, where not too long ago, we got to peek in on a free Rolling Stones concert. It's great since everything is close and we're downtown. Amy (law student at Dal, but also recovering ski patroller and instructor), Erin (medical anthropologist of the year) and Andrew (Clean Nova Scotia energy pro), Nim (the most brillant and sweetie cat ever), Buckwheat (buffers the brillancy of Nim... our own in-house entertainment) and I are enjoying life in "the White House". My little "closet" is very cozy and I love it! The house is OLD (like all houses in Halifax) and it's not interested in the architecture of straight lines!!

Andrew, Erin and the White House, posing the camera.

LIVE: The Stones (from our doorstep)

Nova Scotia is beautiful right now and definitely lives up to my dream of living "out East" in the Fall. I've been collecting leaves and acorns and plan to decorate my wee room. A 10 minute bike ride takes you right out of the city into a cornucopia (a great word) of Autumn colours... awesome!

I'm volunteering lots to meet my fellow Haligonians, not just because the name is cool! Saturdays at the market are always fun, and I managed to sneak some free films at the Atlantic film fest. Good times...

What else? Oh yes, I was back in Van for my grad convocation which was nice since it allowed me the chance to see my dear family again! :)

And that brings me to Work. Yes, I've joined the 9-5er world (no comment from me...). I'm working for Environment Canada on Aboriginal policy development issues and am conducting a national survey of arrangements. It's interesting to be on the "inside" of the public system... Lucky for me though is that it's a 15 minute bike ride! :)

Other than that, emails are always great to receive. So are phone calls. We have unlimited long distance priviledges, which makes talking on the phone reasonable! I'd love to hear from you! :)

Hope you are all happy and well!
Much love and all that jaz, :)

Kristy (one of the Westerners-turned honourable Haligonian)

Atlantic it is!!

2006-09-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends!

Well, despite a few bumps in the road, Zoom (my bike) and I finally made it to destination Halifax, Nova Scotia- at lightning speed at that! Airplanes; amazing inventions, I tell ya! :)

Despite this apparent laziness, I did manage to rotate Zoom's wheels a bit on a 6 day tour of Prince Edward Island with newlyweds, Colin and Alaina (who have the coolest tandem bike in cycling history!). We had a great time. Lots of red earth, lighhouses, Anne of Green Gables-obsessed tourists, lobster, muscles, chowder and of course, potatoes! We stayed in B+B's and cottages, which is a great way to tour.

The trip was a nice way to see a province and restored my love of cycling exploration and it was nice to join friends.

Currently I have just moved in with more friends from Semester in Dialogue, Erin and Andrew (who also just relocated from Vancouver), in Halifax, home of Timothy the Tugboat! Halifax is a beautiful city with lots of history and interesting architecture. Home is cozy and a stroll from Downtown. We are now official Haligonians as we're fans of the local brew and fish and chips! Yum! I'm also in full anticipation of a beautiful Fall and hopefully a very very white Christmas!

So despite a crazy summer, it feels great to be here with friends and enjoying our amazing Country!

I trust that everyone is doing well!
Many cheers,
Kristy

Slight modification of plans...

2006-06-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

With GREAT deliberation and much disappointment, KroozinCanada has turned into "Kroozin the West Coast". Though the Charlottes were nearly picture-perfect, the whole trip was decided to be a little over-enthusiastic. Cat is on her way back to Montreal and I am so far enjoying the sun and very relaxed pace of the Island. Yesterday morning I caught the Queen of Prince Rupert down the Inside Passage which was stunning. We saw lots of whales and purpoises. I also met a older retired man from Germany, Peter, who has cycled every continent and is currently on a mission from Alaska to Pantagonia. We rode together this morning (after catching a few hours of sleep in a very noisy ferry terminal). Currently I am in Port McNeil, a charming portside community and am planning to just explore the rest of the route on my own, taking lots of detours along the way.

It has been tough to decide against a cross country trip, however, hopefully I can continue my dream of the open road and the freedom that brings in a different setting. So far I've come to appreciate my lack of a final destination and find it a lot more satisfying. Though cycling touring is definitely a skill I'd like to explore more and look forward to future two-wheeling.

Thanks for all those who supported me in this endeavour. I appreciate your respect of this decision. Though I won't be cycling across Canada, I definitely appreciate living in a country where plans of this sort are possible. Happy Canada folks! :)

Here are some pics of our explorations of Graham Island:

Bonjour Cat!! :)

2006-06-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Bonjour tous le monde!

Today I met Cat (Catherine)!!! It was great to see her smiling face waiting at the ferry. She's got a great accent and I love all the french words that she brings to our conversations! We get along great and she doesn't seem TOO much faster than me, so hopefully we'll be a great pair! Tomorrow we will test out our legs on Graham Island up to Masset. Wide open roads ahead...

A la prochaine!

Kristy, Cat, Zoom and Cat's bike (name: to-be-determined soon, at least recognized by me...)

Queen Charlotte Islands

2006-06-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I'm emailing here from the Charlottes, a spot that's going to be hard to leave! I arrived on Saturday after catching the ferry from Prince Rupert. Waking up at 4:30am in the pouring rain to catch the ferry has been well worth it!

I'm staying with Moresby Explorers, a touring company which a friend I met at SFU works. They're located on Moresby Island, the Southern Island which reminds me a lot of Birchbay, where our family has a summer cottage. Despite the fact that my friend Hajar is down a float camp used for tour groups, the Moresby crew have been great. They have about 8 employees, which are usually out on 3 or 4 day tours, so the people around the office change pretty regularly.

Most people here are pretty up for any type of adventure. We spent Sunday exploring the Southern area of Graham Island (the main Northern Island) looking for a good surfing spot for a die-hard surfer named Cedar. Though the waves weren't as impressive as she was expecting, we found some great beaches, a cave and lots of intertidal spots to explore. The island have infinite spaces to explore, and the best thing is that you won't find a single soul (well, except for soaring eagles, tons of frolicking deer, noisy ravens and the occasional black bear). On the way back, we packed up the back of Cedar's truck with Cat Tails for her composter! I knew there was a use for those plants! On the way back, we missed the 20min ferry ride to Moresby, so we went back to one of the girls parents' place for dinner. They live on their own island and it's such a cute cozy spot! Pretty much everything is homemade, with a stove that uses recycled oil. It reminds me a lot of the sunshine coast.

The next day, I had the chance to go down on the power boat to meet Hajar at the float camp. I joined a group of older kayakers (a couple of which told me great stories of their bike trip across Canada last year!) that we're great company! It was great to hear reassurances, since I'm still feeling a little apprehensive.The islands are sure surreal and massive. I've never been anywhere so wild and beautiful. I was dropped off at the float camp (to gauge the scale- try to locate the float camp in the image next to Hajar kayaking!) where Hajar and I kayaked around and saw eagles, raccoons (it's funny to see them outside of the city!), and lots of jellies. That evening, a group from Washington state came in from a four day excusion in which they saw killer and humpback whales and tons of dolphins. Hajar served a treat for dinner with pie! Boy, I've been spoiled! The following morning, we went back to Moresby after stopping at Tanu, an old Haida settlement of about 500 people. It's the only one where you can see the layout of the village since the remains of each of the 24 houses are still intact. A pretty inspiring spot surrounding by a moss floor and temperate rainforest! On the way back, we say a black bear, they are pretty big around here!

I've spent the day exploring the Village of Queen Charlotte and Skidegate (a First Nations community- though not much was open since it's Aboriginal day). Lots of interesting sights and people. I've had a lot of people ask where I'm going or have been, so it's a quick conversation maker!

I'm really looking forward to meeting Cat at the ferry tomorrow. It will be great to have a travel partner!

Well, that's all the adventure to report for now! I'm working on getting pictures downloaded, so please stay tuned!

Many cheers! :)
Kristy

The land of the Eagles

2006-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the comments everyone!

With much help from family, I arrived safely in Prince Rupert yesterday morning. The airport is on a small island west of the main city and we caught a bus/ferry to get over. I had fun fitting together my bike and trailer (phew, everything arrived) and then went exploring around Rupert. It's quite a bit easier travelling with a bike out of a box, let me tell you!

Rupert is a beautiful spot with rich First Nations history. Everywhere you look, eagles are overhead. Yesterday I hang around the carving shed where I was inspired by local carvers (where I acted as a greeter to all the tourists from the huge cruise ship). I am in Tsimshian territory, but also met Gitksan and Nisga'a carvers. I was able to have a piece of red wood which with my single knife, hopefully I will have the chance to turn it into something special.

I'm catching the 6am ferry to the Queen Charlottes. This part of the world has been beatiful (the sights in addition to the people) so far and I'm glad to have the opportunity to explore Northern BC. The magnitude of this trip still intimidates the dickens out of me and more training would have always helped I'm sure, but hopefully Cat and I will encourage each other to tackle the grinds.

Naam-nin! (or something like that- it means see you later)
Kristy

From the Pacific, eyeing the Atlantic

2006-06-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Home sweet home from Bamfield, a 6 week intensive (bold, underline) biology field school consisting of trampling over intertidal rocks in search of limpets (what?) and barnacles as well as learning multivariate stats. Oh, good times.

Preparation for the next adventure has begun, code name: KroozinCanada. For the next 3 to 4 months, I'll be pedal pushing coast to coast across our true, north, strong and free. With Cat Goulet from Montreal as my companion, we are leaving in the spirit of Mark Twain who said:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do that by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines (or kick back the kick-stand). Sail away from safe harbour (ride). Catch the trade winds in your sails (go for it). Explore. Dream. Discover.

The purpose of this blog is to provide an update as to my whereabouts and what-abouts (oh, joy to uniqueness of undictionaried words). In case you're wondering, my parents nicknamed me Kroozy when I was wee since I'd always be on the move exploring, so aptly, here I am Kroozin again! Now, if I could only find my bike tools...

Enjoy! :)