BLOG # 1

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Blog #1, day 2. Connie's house in Kitsilano. Van, BC. CANADA

This feels very self indulgent and a bit awkward - writing about myself and assuming someone will read it, so I need to pretend this is just a giant postcard heading out to everyone. Will hope to send a picture or two soon as well soon as I figure out how.

I left Whitehorse Wed morning after a 3 - 4 week mad focussed panic to leave. I shed a few tears on the plane as we departed, letting all the stress head to the stratosphere where it belonged. I really need this break, its been a long year and its only April. For some reason, the persistent cold, wind and ubiquitous dead brown of a northern spring really got on my nerves this year. I love the Yukon, but April just sucks and in the weeks prior to my departure, I could have traded it for just about anywhere else with heat and live vegetation. Even the plane was frigid the entire flight, a final departure souvenir from our friends at Air North. LEMME OUTA HERE!

I gasped involuntarily as I glanced out the window on our descen into Vancouver. It was like I just entered the world having lived in a black and white photo for an entire lifetime. Everything was that light newborn green of just sprouted leaves, before the July sunburn and bug-chomping wears down their brilliance. All the azelias and rhododendrons are unreal - if I couldnt touch them, I'd insist they were Photoshoped into those colours. Tulips, daffodils, lilacs, lily of the valley, irises, the works.

I am REAAAALY glad I didnt go straight to the jungle from the wasteland. Probably would have had a heart attack from the overabundance, the fecundity and the change in ratio of living to lifeless things.

Connie and I toured Kits Beach yesterday afternoon - watchin the boys play shirtless volleyball in front of a constant parade of joggers, dog walkers, walkers and locals enjoying the sunshine before the rest of the world shows up once again to invade their space. Most are still recovering from the Olympics and with parking fees just going to $6 for half an hour, and a new tax about to be put on, of all sacred things, their groceries, they will be paying for decades to come. The City of Vancouver can't even go through with a plan to save 10% of the Althlete's Village condos for low income earners - they dont even know they will break even at market rates - which just broke $1 million on average for houses here. I sip my Americano and wish them luck. You gotta pay when you live in Paradise.

Today I spent a small fortune at the wholesale jewellery supply store and went for lunch with my good friend Annette. Annette and I, along with a friend (now passed), Sheri, formed the 'Sluts for Social Justice' in 1998 when we met as part of a team working to fundraise for the kids who had been pepper sprayed while protesting on campus during the APEC affair. Sheri's son was sprayed. The Sluts never amounted to much but we had a good number of dinners out with lots of wine, social justice rants and laughter - the friendships endured and it was good to see her - last time she saw me I could barely roll over post surgery.

It was good also to go to a restaurant but it was hard to find something to eat. I am on a strict diet pre-Peru to prepare me for the upcoming ayahuasca ceremonies. No booze, no pork (these are things I don't do anyway), no spicy food (this means no Indian,Thai, sushi or damn near any other fabulous restaurant food I crave in Vancouver), no animal fat, no salt and pepper, no sugar, no dairy and no wheat. The menu is chicken or fish, salad, fruit and grains with nothing on em - rearrange it as you like for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hell, I had popcorn last night with no salt and no butter. Sort of like eating sawdust.

The other things we are supposed to be doing to prepare for the process are withdrawing into contemplation, meditating, cease tv watching, stopping idle chit chat and avoiding trivial internet conversations. Good luck! I havent watched tv for a couple of months, but only because I have been too busy to waste an evening. Last night, because we deserved it and had dry popcorn to entertain us, we watched American Idol. 33 million people voted for some kid to go home because she didn't sing well enough. That is probably more than voted for Barack Obama......

Ok, I need to stop now and go read my book. You know, the contemplation thing. Connie and I are heading for a big final day in Lotusland prior to my 7am departure on Saturday. Morning walk to the beach, hang out with Leonardo da Vinci at the Van Art Gallery, free shiatsu massage at the Wellness Show at the convention centre, and then take in a play starring a good friend of Connie's. Little dose of Western civilization before I head for another universe. Looking forward to it all!

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Comments

[Roxana]

Peru
Someone is reading and can hardly wait for more entries from you. Pura pura medicina.

[vanora]

awkward
I for one, am reading your blog with bated breath (don't you love it when people write "baited breath"? What's it baited with, I always wonder) and can't wait for each new installment. I wish you a safe trip to Lima and will be thinking of you, of course! Watered and turned the seedlings today and watered the outside gardens. The plants miss you already.