Toast for the douchebags

Insanity

257, originally uploaded by Eric Flexyourhead.

My definition of insane is a holiday centered around buying gifts for every single person you know. This year was a success with zero dollars spent, and only two cards received! So proud of the shift towards consciousness and enjoying the holidays rather then spend! spend! spend!

Meeting the Prince of the Royal woods

Meeting the Prince of the Royal woods, originally uploaded by B℮n.

from William E. Channing

Will you…

Live contentedly with small means

Seek elegance over luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion

Seek to be worthy, not respectable

wealthy, not rich?

Will you choose to listen to stars and birds,

babes and sages?

Study hard, think quietly

act frankly, talk gently?

Await occasions, hurry never?

Let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up though the common?

Will you stop being busy?
Stop hiding who you really are?
Stop taking it all so seriously
Start something (anything)?
Start scaring yourself?
Start getting rid of the crap
Stop following the rules
Choose being happy over being right~

Fall Solstice

Progression of Lunar Eclipse, originally uploaded by __Dori__.

As we have just passed the shortest day of the year we are now moving towards the light. The days are getting longer. Right now by a few seconds a day, by the end of next month by a few minutes. It is a time of rebirth, holidays, gatherings and celebrations.
An event that has been recognized since Neolithic times to signify mating times, crops, and other rituals. It is something we don't really recognize when we live in the concrete jungle of a modern city. The disconnect between what sustains us, and our gratitude for it is lost in the hustle and bustle. Yesterday when we where driving down from Whistler i felt that the day was longer.. even by mere seconds and i was grateful.

Ghandi's top 10

god is dead

Enjoy

Skateboardanimation from Tilman Singer on Vimeo.

Above and Beyond

Listen to me

, originally uploaded by veggy.

Hot Yoga made me sick

Mei Li, originally uploaded by Elspeth and Evan.

Today for the first time in ages i took a hot yoga class. I ate a meal a few hours before. I drank water, had some tea, i felt good.
At the end of class i was so fatigued, dizzy, and nauseous that i was worried i wouldn't make it out of the studio. I attempted to shower and it was painful. I thought i was going to have to tell someone because i might collapse. I didn't even blow dry my hair, all i wanted to do was get home and lay down if i could make it. It was freezing outside but i was still so hot. I am guessing my core temperature had over heated and roasted itself.. which is something that many people say is why we shouldn't do yoga in hot rooms. I just read this article and it really hit home. I have enjoyed hot yoga for over a decade now but after today i don't know if i want to go back.
http://www.pranayogacollege.com/writings/hot-yoga.php

What's better then making falafel at home on a cold winter day?

DSC_0002, originally uploaded by veggy.

Having a cute boy named Gerard make it for you!

Why I do yoga?

Cecilia, originally uploaded by veggy.

I was watching "Enlightened Up" last night which is a documentary done on one man's beginner exploration into the practice of yoga. He went around asking the worlds guru's and leading teacher's about the history of yoga, and it's purpose.
And not shockingly everyone had a different story and a different purpose. What i liked is that no one wanted anyone to do anything they didn't want to do. Some people's 'guru' status turned me off completely as i do not feel anyone feet should be kissed.
It's a blessing to share and teach an experience. We should give from our heart with no expectation.
I started doing yoga 12 years ago for the pure physicality of it initially at a local gym. I did this for years not really realizing what i was doing but knowing i felt good. I combined it with cardio at the gym. I have done every kind of yoga, including 90 days straight of Bikrams before getting slightly bored of it.
Only in the last couple of years have i not joined a gym, and joined a yoga studio only. I challenged myself to a 30 day challenge of doing 30 days of yoga in a row. Only then did i realize the suttle change in my body, mind and spirit.
I finally was connecting my breath with my movement in my body. At this point i realized anything was possible, not only within my body but within life.
Yoga has made me look within and accept and be in peace with myself and those are often intentions i set at the beginning of class. It has also prepared me for meditation which i recently delved in to.
I continue to do yoga for this reason. I seek a balance and the suttle layers of yoga keep unveiling themselves. I will keep practicing yoga not to do headstands but to keep me connected to myself. Namaste.

The Suburbs

If i hold you with my emotions,

you'll become a wished for companion.

If i hold you with my eyes,

you'll grow old and die.

So i hold you where we

both mix with the infinite.

- Rumi

Ready to Start

I really cannot get enough of these guys right now. 3 amazing albums under their belt. I saw them at the Commodore which they said was there biggest crowd yet. Now they sell out massive stadiums. It's hard to be mad about that. I am happy that Canadian musicians can still be successful during a changing music market.

Fear

, originally uploaded by veggy.

Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
-T.S. Eliot

The Foley Flock

Calm Sundays

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Ucluelet

I watched the sunset and the sunrise.. all from our ocean front home in Ucluelet. I am so lucky to have met such great friends that would want to share such a place with me. Within 3 minutes of arriving in Ucluelet, just off the highway, we had a baby boy deer jump in front of our car and have it bounce off and run a little way. It got maybe 10 metres and it tried to get up and it couldn't move. I knew it wasn't good, and i had no idea what to do. Seeing any being in pain is heart wrenching. Within a minute a lady stopped, swooped in and covered the deer with a thick blanket. She started talking to the deer, and caressing it. The deer was completely calm. I have never seen a deer that calm.. and i see a lot of them on Bowen Island. We called the RCMP, and attempted to call one of her friends who knew what to do. She was convinced the deer was going to be ok. The deer tried to get up one more time, and she asked me to hold it down. I did very lightly touch the deer, but i was not holding it down. If the deer could get up i wanted it to get up and go and be in nature, not around humans. As i had my hand on my deer, i felt the breathing which was very fast, stop. At that point she thought the deer was going to be ok, but i said he stopped breathing.. but then he gave his last couple of kicks, and passed on.

She said the deer was the crest of her family and that she would give it the proper burial. I was grateful that she was there even though i don't know if touching a deer like that is ok, but it seemed ok. The RCMP finally came (wearing jeans.. cool!), and assessed the deer but it was already dead. It would seem that he has experience in animals as i am sure this happpens often. It was nice to know if the deer had survived he could figure out if it had broken bones or lost movement. I don't know what they would do with the deer though.

They boy in the gas station said his uncle would skin it, but the deer whisperer lady said she wanted it, so the RCMP put it in her trunk.

The beauty of life and death. We all are born.. we are all going to die and that is the nature of life. Whether it's an accident in our fast moving world, or naturally at home in bed. Life goes on, as one breath comes in, and the next breath may be our last for now.

library loan

library loan, originally uploaded by veggy.

One of my favorite places in the library. Thousands of books.. and you can take them out for free! I have hundreds of books in storage and at home that I LOVE and can't seem to let go of even though i haven't touched them in a decade or less. I am trying to let go of 'things & stuff' that anchor me in one place. The library facilitates my need to read, and learn without the baggage. There really should be a Love your Library Day.

you

IMGP2363.jpg, originally uploaded by Jotachispas.

Don't mess with me!

fall into you

fall into you, originally uploaded by veggy.

I love taking photos in the fall. Here is a new one.

Meditation: Can it strengthen positive emotions? - Point of View

Meditation: Can it strengthen positive emotions? - Point of View

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls (HD)

dance yerself clean

Walking up to me expecting walking up to me Expecting words it happens all the time Present company accept it present company Except the worst it happens every night  Ah aaaaah present company Excluded every time Ah aaaaaah present company www.lyrics-celebrities.anekatips.com The best that you can find  Talking like a jerk Except you are an actual jerk And living proof that sometimes friends are mean  Present company expect it present company Just laugh it off it's better than it seems  Ah aaaaaah present company Excluded in every way Ah aaaaaah present company Makes me wanna stay  Killing it with close inspecting Killing it can only make it worse It sort of makes it breed Present company accepting Presently we all expect the worst Works just like a need  Ah aaaaah present company Excluded in the night Ah aaaaah present company Included in the fight  ah aaaaaaaah, ah aaaaaaaah, aaaaaah ah aaaaaaah  Don't you want me to wake up? Then give me just a bit of your time Arguments are made from make outs So give it just a little more time  We've got to bring our results I wanna play it 'til the time comes But there's a string of divorces You go and throw your little hands up  I miss the way the night comes With friends who always make it feel good This basement has a cold glow Though it's better than a bunch of others  So go and dance yourself clean ..ooow Go and dance yourself clean yeah You're throwing marks into pieces Baby, they're arguments, the pieces  It's your show (x4)  Work a little bit ......?  Every night's a different story It's a thirty car pile-up with you Everybody's getting younger It's the end of an era, it's true  And you go (Stop, stop, stop, stop)  Make me into bigger pieces ....... he's home with you Wait until the weekend And we can make our dreams come true  And it's anekatips ago yeah, it's ago And if we wait until the weekend We can miss the best thing to do oh  Go and dance yrself clean Go and dance yourself clean You're throwing marks into pieces Maybe they're arguments the pieces  Oh  We should try a little harder In the tedious march of the few Every day's a different warning There's a part of me hoping it's true

Just another backyard project

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

David Lynch describes his first meditation experience

My Vipassana experience

posing

posing, originally uploaded by veggy.

Meet my new Betta fish ! I named him Jello. He's a poser.

All I need

Lions Gate Bridge Photo, Weather Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Lions Gate Bridge Photo, Weather Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Vagina Coconut!

How to make nut milk!

I have been reading a lot about how bad soy products are recently both physically and for the enviroment and swapping slowly to almond milk. I didn't realize it was so easy to make! Check this video out:

Festival stomach

When you spend your days living it up and working non stop during festivals.. you get festival stomach. You eat breakfast if your lucky at noon which usually consists of coffee and something shoved into your mouth, then lunch near dinner time which again if your lucky is something of substance, and dinner becomes beer and yam fries or left over baguettes from the local bakeries that donate to the volunteer centre. It really isn't a sustaining diet, but you do survive.

I think roving healthy food vendors during festivals would be amazing for staff and volunteers alike. Kind of like lunch trucks on movie sets. Of course vancouver bylaws would probably not allow it and neither would Granville Island..but how much nicer would life be if that existed?

Throw in a roving masseuse and your set!

Bubble POP

Bubble Rip (Storm Wave), originally uploaded by richard.heeks.

Well that's it.. the Fringe Festival is wrapping up. Another roller coaster ride of intense action and fun. What's funner then catching people perform all around town, giving them tips and advice, listening to music at the Fringe Bar, and making new friends? Seriously. Festivals are awesome. What's next? Who knows.. but i am going to slow back down for a month.

Breasts

Young lady in hat, originally uploaded by edward olive edwardolive.

Today i thought about what it would feel like not to have boobs. Breasts are really a weird thing. Mine are particularly large, and when i say that i am not trying to show off or anything. Most people say i am lucky, i just think there a pain in the ass. Having big boobs makes you look bigger in general, they never fit into tops unless they are bulging out, and give me shoulder pains from wearing bras.
It seems to be the case of the grass is always greener. The obsession with large or larger breasts is something i really don't get. I know as children it is the true source of nourishment and connection to our mother. Something that is so ingrained in us.. how could we not love breasts..they feed us! But as adults, as grown mature humans.. the idea of wanting bigger ones makes no sense to me.
In yoga i expanded my rib cage and breathed in and out and tried to feel what it would feel like to have 6 pounds on weights carried around on my chest at ALL times. It felt freeing. It felt light. It felt what it feels like when you carry around a back pack all day and then decide to take it off.
Breasts have a purpose. One purpose. Beyond feeding babies, i see they don't have a purpose.
Women who alter there bodies in whatever way, stuffing inflated plastic sacks violently into there chests to satisfy an image, an image that is the opposite of feminine and loving, is truly upsetting and sad.
We need to love what we got. Big or small!

What would i do without you?

HD 720p Iceland volcano eruption, Eyjafjallajökull - by Sean Stiegemeier

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Gary Stephen Ross | The Walrus | March 2010

Vancouver is sometimes a hard place to put your finger on.. this article does a great job of covering it:

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Gary Stephen Ross | The Walrus | March 2010

Said The Whale Presents "We Are The Music: Musicians for (spare) Change"

Pug smile

Pug smile, originally uploaded by veggy.

I always wanted a pug, and this weekend i spent a whole weekend with one. They were bread to be the queens dog, and that it is. It followed right on our foot steps, always in the submissive position, and we never had to trip on it. I don't believe they are very smart and she was incredibly needy. She didn't like being left alone, and it got more walks then most dogs yet still had energy. Every single person we passed would oggle over Bella. This i found annoying. Do i still want a pug? Nope. But they sure are damn cute.

I can fly!

I can fly!, originally uploaded by r.AI (-).

Isn’t it great to laugh?


Dashama in Rishikesh, India

*It reduces stress almost immediately.
*Laughter is the medicine that heals a broken heart.
*It raises your energy level and changes your mood instantly.

*It triggers serotonin production in your brain, which is the body’s natural feel good hormone, thus producing a “natural high”.

*If you laugh really heart, it can be an ab workout.
*If you’ve ever rolled over on the floor holding your stomach from laughing, you know what I mean.
*It gets things moving inside of you, awakening energy channels that were previously closed or blocked.

*If you are feeling down or sad, you can become uplifted, light hearted and blissful
simply by laughing.

So, how do you evoke laughter when you need
its healing properties?

1. Remain light-hearted. When you are heavy in the heart, and have a frown on your face, nothing will make you
laugh, no matter how funny it is.

2. Learn to laugh at yourself. No one is perfect. Many of the things you do on the day to day are silly, or just down right comical. If you can see the beauty and innocence in all of your actions, you won’t take yourself to seriously.

3. Have friends who make you laugh.
Nothing better than a friend who speaks frankly with pure intentions and a loving heart. It can make us laugh, smile and lift our spirit.

4. Go to a comedy club. There are some brilliant professional comedians out there, try it out.
A few of my favorite are:
Dean Cooke, Chris Rock, and Ellen.
Be prepared, many of them use negativity to make people laugh, this is not the best form of comedy.
Good, light-hearted jokes are the best.
They lift your mood without bringing negativity into your mind.

5. Watch a funny movie. If you’ve never seen silliness like Billy Madison (Adam Sandler) or Dumb and Dumber (Jim Carrey),
you need to see it just to know what I’m talking about. There’s something magical about people who are very oblivious to the world around them , not seeing it as the rest of society sees it.

6. Read comics. Either in the Sunday paper, or online you can find some good humor out there… One of my favorites is Garfield and Dilbert. Everyone has a slightly different style of humor that gets their juices flowing.. Figure out what yours is so you don’t waste a lot of time with the stuff that doesn’t do it for you:-)

7. Try Laughter Yoga! I’ve heard this style of yoga, which is rapidly catching on
world wide, can turn a frown upside down and with the right teacher, get you rolling
on the ground pretty quickly. Find a local class and give it a try~

I wish you a day filled with joy and laughter!

Generate kindness

, originally uploaded by chris wang.

It isn't that hard.. it's actually harder to be angry and grumpy. I find myself laughing my ass off a lot these days. I sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with me or maybe i am just that happy. I like to think i am just that happy. Life is great.

Download.. the good ole days

Hello Kitty

Yelp00050, originally uploaded by Yelp.com.

Hello non stop photo booth fun! Every party i go to there is one. This one had fun asian themed ridiculousness!

Grasp

, originally uploaded by Lá caitlin.

You know when you set an intention, and you know it's close? You can feel it getting closer? The shift is happening.
I feel something exciting is going to happen soon.

spirit

spirit, originally uploaded by edward olive edwardolive.

Have confidence in yourself. Release your self-doubt, one day at a time.

Meditation is natural. By closing your eyes, and allowing your body and mind to relax, you can experience inner stillness. 5 minutes is great, but so are three, deep breaths in and out with your eyes closed.

“The best water is rocky water. As water flows over rocks, its quality improves and is purified. So the best meditation is one that is flowing and free, with nothing to hold on to, for once we hold a position, we are brought to a standstill by our grasping.” –Tulku

Daily life, every bit of it, is a path to higher wisdom. Look for the meaning within yourself, within your own heart. To search external will create turbulence, problems, and drama.

What is your motivation? What are your true intentions? Other people will found out, one way or another. So it’s always best just to be straight up and honest in the first place.

Inspiration can show you the map, but you need to take the initiative.
Release your culture, religion, career, and habits for 10 slow, deep breaths every day. Release everything that you think that you are, to create space, truth and stillness. This will help us to detach from problems that we “think” that we have.

Listen to your inner guidance. The more you reject it, the harder it is to find again.

“Truth is like gold. The more it is burned and beaten, the finer it’s quality becomes.” –Tulku

Emotions are contagious. What are you spreading around? Negativity and arrogance? Or compliments and smiles? These are not goals for some later date. They are for you, right here, right now.

Escapist, paradise seeker

Escapist, paradise seeker (365/131), originally uploaded by JenniPenni.

I have been overwhelmed by the need to escape the last few days. It's been 4 whole months of sitting still.. and i have barely been still. My summer has included camping, surfing, rafting, bon fire, beach volleyball, weddings, float plane rides, ferries, pole dancing, staying up all night, picnics, bike rides, bocce, music, illuminaries, whistler, oregon, seattle, folk fest, hikes, lakes, endless bbq's.. really i have not been sitting still. I have done almost everything i have wanted to do. This summer so far has been epic and continues to be epic. I do no regret, i seize, i live, i love, i enjoy.
My heart is pulling me towards Latin America. My urgency to learn Spanish and immerse myself in enveloping me. At the same time i am thinking maybe i need to sit still for a bit. Sit and observe rather then run and explore. Is one better then the other?

hanging

direzioni e versi, originally uploaded by mluisa_.

By the end of my rope.. hanging onto something and everything.

The layers

The layers, originally uploaded by veggy.

We’ve gone through two eclipses in the past month—lunar and solar. We’re approaching August 7th, which is the Grand Cross. In a nutshell, the Grand Cross only happens every 2,000 years where 4 major planets will align in a geometric equidistant diamond shape, which creates a frequency. This alignment directly affects our energy, pressure, influences and reactivity. It’s no longer about if we’ll be effected energetically or not—but rather how we choose to deal with it. Old programming, limiting beliefs, deep seated fears are surfacing to be purged. It’s a classic case of clearing out the smoke and mirrors—the true self will be revealed and we have a choice to freak out and react, or to slow down, face ourselves, memories and experiences and decide to move on.

Hot Summer in the City

IMG_0736, originally uploaded by seannyK.

I can't even begin to describe the feelings of excitement summer in Vancouver contains. There is absolutely no shortage of things to do and most of them don't cost a penny. The ocean, river, lakes, mountains, beaches, festivals, markets provide some top notch culture and nature. The combination of this makes me always question people who immigrate or choose to live in Vancouver instead of any other city in Canada.. but i am going to stop asking because i now see why. I feel it, i see it, i live it, i love it.

Why I'm ignoring your Facebook request

Why I'm ignoring your Facebook request
It has gotten out of control. I have deleted over 300 people in the last few months which took forever of my time. Not because i don't like you, but because i don't really know you or talk to you anymore. I rather have a real friend then a serial facebook adder.

Vancouver Folk Festival Day Three

What a great way to spend a Sunday: Here is a review that sums it up.. plus my favorite lantern.. the owl!
Vancouver Folk Festival Day Three

Savasana

IN0902240F, originally uploaded by Thierry Brésillon.

Why do we roll to the right side at the end of Savasana?

* Rolling to the right side of the body is rolling away from the heart (less pressure and weight on the rested and open heart).
* Pausing on the right side allows the students natural blood pressure to reach it’s potential homeostasis.
* Resting on the right side allows the energy to be redirected in the present moment as needed and circulated appropriately.

Dreaming

Cartagena, inside the fort, originally uploaded by veggy.

World Cup fever grips the world and all i can think about are the kids of world who play soccer and dream of one day...

magic hour

magic hour skateboarder, originally uploaded by flamed.

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him." Buddha

hidden

week two., originally uploaded by karin mathilda.

"Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution."

The eventual eclipsed full moon rising over East Vancouver

The eventual eclipsed full moon rising over East Vancouver, originally uploaded by veggy.

After 4 hours of slow bike riding through the city, i crossed the Cambie Bridge. To my glorious surprise the moon was rising right over my apartment in this photo. Every person i came upon on the bridge i yelled at them "look at the moon!".

I found out later it there was an actual lunar eclipse that night which will be followed by a solar eclipse on July 11th. Moons pull the tides, and probably could explain some of the rised tensions and just odd things that have happened over the last little while.

Critical Mass

, originally uploaded by veggy.

I always wanted to do Critical Mass, and now i do. I also ride my bike everywhere. I challenge you to do the same. In the summer it really isn't a challenge.. it's awesome.

Ten Rules for Being Human

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

Osho

Flying, originally uploaded by dayrain.

“Ecstasy is our very nature; not to be ecstatic is simply unnecessary. To be ecstatic is natural, spontaneous. It needs no effort to be ecstatic, it needs great effort to be miserable. That’s why you look so tired, because misery is really hard work; to maintain it is really difficult, because you are doing something against nature.” Osho

Put Climate Change on the G8 agenda - Take Action

Put Climate Change on the G8 agenda - Take Action

BP & Cats

life = risk

sweet disposition

the lotus within yourself.

the lotus within yourself., originally uploaded by chris spira.

Well it's Friday and i finally got to one of William Blundefields classes at Flow Yoga in Vancouver. How have i missed your classes! Will infuses so much positive, grounded energy mixed in with a little boogie dance time for your asana.
Even though it's a hot class and your sweating your brains out, his break are filled with sentiments that i have re quoted for some time now like:

Breathe in LET
Breathe out GO

Do your Best Forget the Rest!

Yes, some people don't get his spirited yoga psychological classes based on letting go, but that's ok, not everyone is ready for it. Letting go of what society thinks, and what is constantly marketed to us, letting go of what we think or what we think other people think of us, and basically learning to love ourselves.

He asks us to set an intention in the class, and one thing i am working toward is Acceptance, and that is a message he reiterates in the class constantly. I do think his classes have helped me accept myself, and have led me to accept others that i would usually put walls up against.

I love more deeply, i smile more, and if i need a reminder (which i definitely did today, because i am not perfect and i fall back into old patterns), i return to my mat, and look for Will.

One nice touch at the end is that he usually sings. Today for the first time (since i have been going) he asked others to join in and i almost always get goosebumps.. and today my whole body was filled with joy, and gratitude.

Today someone cried and i can understand it, i feel like crying because being in the moment fills my heart. Will gave the girl a long hug, which slowly turned into a huge group sweaty yoga hug! So nice!

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” Dr. Seuss

Thank you.

The metro

The metro, originally uploaded by veggy.

I miss flying. I took this picture at the airport a few weeks ago and low and behold, the plane used to fly came on approach. It was a noisy plane, but it sure did a great job for hauling cargo.
I feel like i may be flying again soon.. which would be cool really.

Rolley Lake

Rolley Lake, originally uploaded by tmduggan.

This weekend we are going on a camping trip to Rolley Lake, BC. I have no idea where it is, and i don't really care. I am taking a back seat for this trip and letting everyone else make the plans and organize. It will be the first official camping trip of summer. Actually it will be my first trip in a couple of years. I am excited except for the fact it may rain the whole time. I grew up being forced to do weekly camping trips 3 times a year as part of my high school's program. I don't regret that i did it now, but sometimes back then it really sucked. Like when it rained and your socks and shoes would get soaked and there was no chance in hell of them drying. Or like when you had just started getting your period and it was really heavy and there was no toilet in site.
I don't imagine it's going to be like that.. but when i hear rain, i get a shiver.

Step out of line

The Green Future, originally uploaded by gilderic.

For every nine people who denounce innovation, only one will encourage it.. For every nine people who do things the way they have always done, only one will ever wonder if there is a better way. For every nine people who stand in line in front of a locked building, only one will ever come around and check the back door. Our progress as a species rests squarely on the shoulders of that tenth person. The nine are satisfied with things they are told are valuable. Person 10 determines for himself what has value. - Za Rinpoche & Ashley Nebelsieck

I am always checking the back door.

ken generations

ken generations, originally uploaded by kankalas.

Why are my gay boyfriends so freaking HOT?! SEXY?!
Is there something about gay sex that makes you immediately sexier?

Self-acceptance

Self-acceptance (365/342), originally uploaded by JenniPenni.

It's funny when we look outside of ourself for inside affirmation. We do not need anyone's acceptance but our own yet some of us spend our whole lives trying to be accepted by other people, whether it be spouses, parents, coworkers, or random strangers. The energy that is wasted caring what other people think and trying to fill some hole that was created by what we learned from our parents or others in our formative years.
To release that hole and be able to accept yourself as the best thing you can be is wonderful. You can smile in the face of someone that is miserable and who wants your life to be miserable, because it's not about you. You can realize that most issues in your world are not really issues if you just be the best person you can be and let everyone else's storms brew around you.
But that doesn't mean we don't fall back into that messy slippery slope. It is so ingrained in our culture that it takes a constant awareness and self love to free yourself from it.
It is amazing to become an observer, refrain from judgment and stereotypes, be a good friend, and love, love, love.

dirty boys

Flip, originally uploaded by STCM.

Why are single boys so dirty? I don't mean not showering, i mean not cleaning up dirt. I am the first one to admit i am messy and i let random things pile up.. but dirt? hhmm no thanks. Did there mom's clean up after them for to long.. or do they just like it?

K U N D E R A

K U N D E R A, originally uploaded by Andres Ghiorzo.

While history (mankind's history) might have poor taste to repeat itself, the history of an art will not stand for repetitions. Art isn't there to be some great mirror registering all of History's ups and downs, variations, endless repetitions. Art is not a village band marching dutifully along at History's heels. Is is there to create it's own history, which in itself represents no value. The one thing that has some chance of enduring is the history of it's arts.

-From the Curtain by Milan Kundera

Carrie Bradshaw is not a real person

Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous. - Carrie Bradshaw

Will you marry me?

Halasana, originally uploaded by gosia janik.

What is it about great yoga teachers that make me want to spend the rest of my life with them. They challenge you, yet let you breath. They move you, but you ultimately choose how much you want to move. They correct you but sometimes you slip back into old patterns .. but that's ok. Sometimes they touch you and really you wonder why they don't touch you all the time. There is nothing sexual about it at all, other then the deep gratifying love you feel from being connected in unity through movement, breath, challenge and fears.
I love yoga and i love you.

Jesus wants to have my baby

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"

Replant the seeds

Unchop

I was lucky enough to study Maya Lin's work in an Art History class i took. She is constantly reinventing herself and creating different ways of looking at our natural environment by manipulating it slightly. I never thought a reversed video clip of a tree being cut down would be so powerful or sad but it really draws the emotion and pure savageness of it. I was nothing but heart broken when i spent a whole week in the Brazilian rain forest. Deforestation is a real issue that the government turns a blind eye too. Never mind the poisoning of the rivers with mining, and general lack of environmental education or care from the locals. What people don't know, doesn't hurt them.. but they are starting to connect the dots, but maybe not fast enough.

Crocuses

Crocuses, originally uploaded by Ben Heine.

Everything is coming back to life. Life is flourishing in the mix of sun, rain, hail, and rainbows that our wonderful city is enveloping us in. I have been staying on the 5th floor of an apartment in the Westend for the the last week and i can see the weather come across the Georgia Straight and build up against the North Shore mountains. I feel sorry for the people over there because it's cloudy probably 50% more then it is even down here, and even when you go even farther west to the Gulf Islands they see less cloud and more sun too. But today.. who knows what the weather holds and i really don't care. I have been on the water and on the beach every single day. I got hailed on while kayaking in Deep Cove at the Tuesday night races, but i also got to see a whole rainbow (no pots of gold?!)

I am so excited for the weather to warm up more and push me into the actual water to cool off.
Summer is near and i have missed you.

Let's get it on

Something about spring and boys with blue eyes that really just do it for me. One day of rain, the next day sunshine. Some days it's all mixed up. It's kind of like the way life is most of the time.. spring brings everything to the table. Everything is being reborn and wants to be fertilized and reborn. Everything is new. Let's get it on baby.

Born Free

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Lady Gaga has nothing on M.I.A., maybe because she is a real person addressing real issues?

Eyjafjallajökull Ash Cloud

Eyjafjallajökull Ash Cloud, originally uploaded by nic kirschner.

Nothing like a volcano ash cloud to seize all flights over Northern Europe. The delays are effecting everyone and there is nothing you can do. I would probably fly into a south and fast train it up.. or just take an extended vacation and blame it on the volcano:)

Parque Tayrona, Cabo

Parque Tayrona, Cabo, originally uploaded by Fred Fraces.

I made it the Tayrona national park and that is what I thought the
whole Caribean coast would be like. It was beautiful but a hard rough
one hour boat trip that has left me with an oddly patched painful sunburn. I should have planned better to stay the night in the camping style hammocks. Instead I hiked out through gorgeous jungle style trail which crossed a few rivers, farms, and some more beaches showcasing there massive rocks that litter the whole area. It made me think that the Lost City would be an awesome trek mainly for the amazing scenery but not much for the millions of ants that foreage there pathways and make incredibly huge pathways to effiecently do there work. It makes it easy when you look at ants to see how places like Egypt got built.
Today i venture onwards on a 4 hour busride to Cartagena, one of the oldest cities in Colombia.

Beaches & Frutas

Tayrona L, originally uploaded by AlejoC.

The fresh fruit is entoxicating.. the beaches a little busy still with local Colombians on holiday. The heat is quenched by fans, ocean and cool drinks. I am getting my Open Water Padi scuba ticket at Poseidon Dive Center in Tanaga. Who needs to fly when you can breath under water? What an insane sensation. The most yogic thing i have ever done. You cant hold your breath or your lungs could explode. You can only breath and watch and move slowly. It exlierating yet scarry at the same time. I just ate my first fresh fish named Robalo, i have no idea what kind of fish it is but it was white and delicious. Now i am exhausted and need to study more but feel like staring at nothing in a hammock as the sun goes down.

Bogota below

Bogota below, originally uploaded by NapaneeGal.

From coffee to cocaine.. its all true. My first impressions of Colombia are that of a country that is torn from guerrillas, to just enjoying life. A city surrounded by graffitti that is stunning and often delves into the deeper personas and strife of what has happened here over the years. The city now enjoys relative peace but still has people that are desperate and usually so dirty and filthy that you are able to avoid them because they are the ones that have knives and try and rob you. The violence remains outside of the city in the country side where there has been very recent bombings and murders. Colombia is not that inhabitable. Its humidity and heat drive people into the areas that are cooler like Bogota and to the beaches.
Like all latin countries Colombians enjoy there siestas, open there doors when they feel like, and will help a gringo if we are lost.
I have already eaten new things like guava paste with what i would call mozzerlla on top of it. Sweet and salty at the same time.. something i think is heavenly. I have had my exotic massive fruit salad which cost me a whopping $1. Meat is still the primary staple but every city has a vegetarian restaurant which is more vegan then anything. . and so good!!
I am heading overnight from San Gil after i do a quick paragliding trip over the mountains and river to Santa Marta. I am still torn between doing a trek to the Lost City in 34c heat or doing my PADI dive ticket in the warm ocean.
Rough isnt it¿

Mi Neuvo Amigos!

Jorge Celedón & Jimmy Zambrano - La Invitación (Official Music Video) - Watch today’s top amazing videos here