Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Home and Away
As a rolling stone who has lived all the world, “Home and Away” brings up many questions, conflicts and dilemmas for me. In 1990 I arrived in Alberta. It was the magnetic pull of the snow covered Rocky Mountains that attracted me to Alberta from the Australia’s sultry beaches.
It is the frigid weather that I quarrel with. This in turn means that the growing season is short and energy to heat my house through the long winter, expensive.
Recently I arrived back from Asia where the temperature had been plus thirty to find every home and road in Calgary encased in a thick capsule of snow and ice. My daughter had left our Jetta outside in the deep freeze for three weeks while she had been in Europe. The car steadfastly refused to start. With Clive’s magic touch the car started. Out on the highway it juddered and stuttered along as if it had a bad lisp. Fast moving trucks barrelled out of the darkness, covering us blowing snow. Welcome home.
This is the home I had been looking forward to returning to yet the reality of winter roads terrify me. In the last couple of weeks since I returned I have tried to banish the question from my mind “Is this were I want to spent the rest of my life?”
Albertan’s are a hardy people, used to this rugged intimidating climate. Dressed in puffy down jackets, woolly hats and thick furlined boots, their cars loaded with emergency blankets, candles and matches Albertans have made friends with their long winters.
More than that even on the coldest minus thirty days you will find them outside, on skates, skis and sleds revelling in the sparkling chiselled mountains of their pristine winter wonderland.
Can I say that after 18 years Alberta is home? What makes a place home? I had time to think about that cycling thought the jungles of Vietnam and Laos, lying on the white beaches in Thailand coconuts swaying in the sea breeze, juicy papayas waiting to be eaten. I told myself there that it was easier to be cold than too hot.
Today the warm Chinook swirled through the towering cliffs of Peter Lougheed, Rimwall and Wind Tower softening their sharp ridges, stark against the blue Alberta sky. It felt as if the warm wind picked up my nagging doubts and carried them far away to the flatlands.
I do know that when I stepped of the plane and saw my daughter, it is my family and friends who make me call Alberta home.
It is the frigid weather that I quarrel with. This in turn means that the growing season is short and energy to heat my house through the long winter, expensive.
Recently I arrived back from Asia where the temperature had been plus thirty to find every home and road in Calgary encased in a thick capsule of snow and ice. My daughter had left our Jetta outside in the deep freeze for three weeks while she had been in Europe. The car steadfastly refused to start. With Clive’s magic touch the car started. Out on the highway it juddered and stuttered along as if it had a bad lisp. Fast moving trucks barrelled out of the darkness, covering us blowing snow. Welcome home.
This is the home I had been looking forward to returning to yet the reality of winter roads terrify me. In the last couple of weeks since I returned I have tried to banish the question from my mind “Is this were I want to spent the rest of my life?”
Albertan’s are a hardy people, used to this rugged intimidating climate. Dressed in puffy down jackets, woolly hats and thick furlined boots, their cars loaded with emergency blankets, candles and matches Albertans have made friends with their long winters.
More than that even on the coldest minus thirty days you will find them outside, on skates, skis and sleds revelling in the sparkling chiselled mountains of their pristine winter wonderland.
Can I say that after 18 years Alberta is home? What makes a place home? I had time to think about that cycling thought the jungles of Vietnam and Laos, lying on the white beaches in Thailand coconuts swaying in the sea breeze, juicy papayas waiting to be eaten. I told myself there that it was easier to be cold than too hot.
Today the warm Chinook swirled through the towering cliffs of Peter Lougheed, Rimwall and Wind Tower softening their sharp ridges, stark against the blue Alberta sky. It felt as if the warm wind picked up my nagging doubts and carried them far away to the flatlands.
I do know that when I stepped of the plane and saw my daughter, it is my family and friends who make me call Alberta home.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
White Christmas
We're excited to be home. Minus20 or so I haven't really been outside. The sky sparkling blue, mountains covered in snow and santa's reindeers prancing through the snow in the back yard what more could I ask for? Shona welcomed us at the airport. So great to see her after what seems like months and months. My brain is too fogged to work out the actual time. Oringinally she was supposed to be in Europe so I am extra extra happy she is home.
Did I ever think I would be so happy to see my washing machine and dryer, dishwasher, and my wonderful CLEAN home? The plants look great - thanks to Pat. Yes it is great to be back and appreciate so much of the stuff I generally take foregranted.
Now I have to pack for Revelstoke replace the swimsuits and bike shorts with skis and boots and a very warm jacket!! Then bring the Christmas baking - thankyou Shona, Helen and Lenore for providing the treats. Can't wait to see Lisa, Chris and Griffin. It will be a great day - rumor has it Chris is changing our traditional Christmas walk for a Christmas ski!! How wondrous is that?
Have a great great Christmas.
Did I ever think I would be so happy to see my washing machine and dryer, dishwasher, and my wonderful CLEAN home? The plants look great - thanks to Pat. Yes it is great to be back and appreciate so much of the stuff I generally take foregranted.
Now I have to pack for Revelstoke replace the swimsuits and bike shorts with skis and boots and a very warm jacket!! Then bring the Christmas baking - thankyou Shona, Helen and Lenore for providing the treats. Can't wait to see Lisa, Chris and Griffin. It will be a great day - rumor has it Chris is changing our traditional Christmas walk for a Christmas ski!! How wondrous is that?
Have a great great Christmas.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Ho Ho Ho in Peking Airport
Here I am in the cavernous halls of this ultra modern Airport. We left the warmth of Kata Beach, Phuket yesterday after an early morning walk along the beach, accompanied by many joggers, local fishermen, soaring sea eagles and a mad Kite swimmer. I thought he was destined to be swept out to the distant horizon but was rescued by and elegant local long boat made of solid teak.
We spent a couple of nights on Rawa Island on a primitive resort, no hot showers and only electricity for the fan between 6 pm and 6 am. Out cabin sat on a headland overlooking the turqoise waters, and dense forested hillsides. During the day the beach scattered with day trippers who left mid afternoon. Two minutes across the island was Siam Beach even more deserted and more the reason I had made the effort to visit Thailand.
We did a couple of dives on the Island - the dive company was run by Finnish people and did not appear to be well organised. It was very windy which limited the sites that we could visit. We did one dive off a Long Boat. This entailed lugging all the dive gear down the beach and into a long boat. Then doing a strange contortion to get out of the water into the boat. Our dusky boatman headed out around the headland into choppy waters. There we had to somehow struggle to put on all our gear, 5 of us sat on the gunnels and fell backwards into the water at the divemasters command! I survived this test. Then it was DOWN DOWN DOWN. I couldn't see the bottom and I couldn't see the surface just blue water all around as I constantly blew on my nose to equalise the pressure. I thought we would never reach the bottom! But we did and then swam along the bottom for about 40 minutes amongst big boulders, angel fish, sea cucumbers, corals and many fish. Back on the surface I struggled to put my weight belt, BCD and myself back onto the heaving boat. The second dive we decided to do just from the beach was much more relaxing and enjoyable.
After a couple of days in Paradise it was back to Kata beach and the Sugar Palm resort, booked on the internet at discount prices. It was ultamodern, white tiles, white wall and white bed covers with yellow, purple and orange accent cushions. We spent our last day hooning around on a motorbike, snorkelling and kayaking. The After Beach resturant provided a superb lookout at the sunsetting into the ocean.
We had problems when we reached Bankok airport when Air Asia said they would not let us fly to Ho Chi Minh without a Vietnamese visa but we could easily get a rush visa on the internet. Well that would have worked it the internet terminals were working but after struggling for hours we had no visa. Meanwhile Clive managed to purchase new tickets from Bankok to Peking. So here we are - just in the riches to rags year we have been counting our pennies we did not want extra expenses. The consequences of not flying to Ho Chi Minh would have meant missing all our connections.
It is minus nine here outside - just to prepare us for Canada where it was apparently minus 42 in Banff one morning last week.
It is that time of year and I wish you all lots of yummy food and
We spent a couple of nights on Rawa Island on a primitive resort, no hot showers and only electricity for the fan between 6 pm and 6 am. Out cabin sat on a headland overlooking the turqoise waters, and dense forested hillsides. During the day the beach scattered with day trippers who left mid afternoon. Two minutes across the island was Siam Beach even more deserted and more the reason I had made the effort to visit Thailand.
We did a couple of dives on the Island - the dive company was run by Finnish people and did not appear to be well organised. It was very windy which limited the sites that we could visit. We did one dive off a Long Boat. This entailed lugging all the dive gear down the beach and into a long boat. Then doing a strange contortion to get out of the water into the boat. Our dusky boatman headed out around the headland into choppy waters. There we had to somehow struggle to put on all our gear, 5 of us sat on the gunnels and fell backwards into the water at the divemasters command! I survived this test. Then it was DOWN DOWN DOWN. I couldn't see the bottom and I couldn't see the surface just blue water all around as I constantly blew on my nose to equalise the pressure. I thought we would never reach the bottom! But we did and then swam along the bottom for about 40 minutes amongst big boulders, angel fish, sea cucumbers, corals and many fish. Back on the surface I struggled to put my weight belt, BCD and myself back onto the heaving boat. The second dive we decided to do just from the beach was much more relaxing and enjoyable.
After a couple of days in Paradise it was back to Kata beach and the Sugar Palm resort, booked on the internet at discount prices. It was ultamodern, white tiles, white wall and white bed covers with yellow, purple and orange accent cushions. We spent our last day hooning around on a motorbike, snorkelling and kayaking. The After Beach resturant provided a superb lookout at the sunsetting into the ocean.
We had problems when we reached Bankok airport when Air Asia said they would not let us fly to Ho Chi Minh without a Vietnamese visa but we could easily get a rush visa on the internet. Well that would have worked it the internet terminals were working but after struggling for hours we had no visa. Meanwhile Clive managed to purchase new tickets from Bankok to Peking. So here we are - just in the riches to rags year we have been counting our pennies we did not want extra expenses. The consequences of not flying to Ho Chi Minh would have meant missing all our connections.
It is minus nine here outside - just to prepare us for Canada where it was apparently minus 42 in Banff one morning last week.
It is that time of year and I wish you all lots of yummy food and
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Phuket, Thailand
Freefalling in Thailand took us to Phuket town for a couple of nights and as in writing, walking around in the heat dragged me down to a shadow place I didnot what to visit. Guidebooks are good at disguising the truth of a place. Instead of lonely beaches with golden sands we have found unrestrained advertiseing and beaches covered with umbrellas and many northern euros lying like red lobsters and blubbery whales. After a couple of days of culture shock we found the relatively peaceful Serene Resort, our budget room tucked in at the back overlooking a canopy of tropical vegetation even has a squirrel. The Serene Resort has a resturant which it tries hard to invite people in. The first night the loud noise of the Elvis impersonator seemed to have the opposite effect, his booming mic a good deterrant to quiet dinning. Last night their was a crooning guy/lady, I wasn't quite sure, singing those age old beatles songs to a hardy few folk. He had to compete with the strident noise from the bar across the road - which seemed so loud I am sure you could here it in North America!
Yesterday we literally took the plunge and did a refresher diving course. After a 3 hour boat ride, reviewing some theory, I had to jump into the lumpy churning waters overlooked by a sheer limestone cliff. Then it was straight to the bottom, equalising all the way to review skills of mask clearing, taking the BCD out of my mouth and replacing it, buddy breathing. I found this quite nerve racking but I did each skill successfully then we were off to visit the sea bottom. It felt quite unfamiliar at first and at one point I started shooting up as I had forgotten how to use my breath for bouyancy. I had to remember to breath through my mouth, when I forgot I seemed to feel my lungs being crushed. There were many wondrous fish to distract me but I was relieved to be back on the boat for lunch although I was too nervous to eat. The afternoon dive was fun, I remembered how to use my breath to help me sink and was able to relax more as we watched a couple of sharks, angel fish, see anemomes, star fish and other exotice creatures of the deep. An incredible world.
We had thought we would go to the Simian Islands to dive but after yesterday decided that the long boat trip out there would not be much fun so are heading to a little island instead where the diving is more mangeable.
I managed to get sunburned on the way back on the boat so eventually headed to the masseuse who slathered my body with ice cold aloe vera. That seemed to do the trick, soothed my red hot back. I will miss my $10 massages next week when we are back in the depth of the Candian winter. In fact I would like to bring one of these skilled women back home with me!
It has been hot. The travel agent this AM told us it was even hot for Thai people! I have accepted the busy holiday resort. Last night as I walked around the crowded streets there was a traditional Thai group of 6 musicians all dressed up in santa outfits!
So we are into the last few days of our long trip. My brain will be happy not to deal with the weird money, vietnamese dhong, laos kip and thai bhat. I am hoping that the cold canadain weather will not come as too much of a shock most of all it will be clean air, family and friends I will relish.
Yesterday we literally took the plunge and did a refresher diving course. After a 3 hour boat ride, reviewing some theory, I had to jump into the lumpy churning waters overlooked by a sheer limestone cliff. Then it was straight to the bottom, equalising all the way to review skills of mask clearing, taking the BCD out of my mouth and replacing it, buddy breathing. I found this quite nerve racking but I did each skill successfully then we were off to visit the sea bottom. It felt quite unfamiliar at first and at one point I started shooting up as I had forgotten how to use my breath for bouyancy. I had to remember to breath through my mouth, when I forgot I seemed to feel my lungs being crushed. There were many wondrous fish to distract me but I was relieved to be back on the boat for lunch although I was too nervous to eat. The afternoon dive was fun, I remembered how to use my breath to help me sink and was able to relax more as we watched a couple of sharks, angel fish, see anemomes, star fish and other exotice creatures of the deep. An incredible world.
We had thought we would go to the Simian Islands to dive but after yesterday decided that the long boat trip out there would not be much fun so are heading to a little island instead where the diving is more mangeable.
I managed to get sunburned on the way back on the boat so eventually headed to the masseuse who slathered my body with ice cold aloe vera. That seemed to do the trick, soothed my red hot back. I will miss my $10 massages next week when we are back in the depth of the Candian winter. In fact I would like to bring one of these skilled women back home with me!
It has been hot. The travel agent this AM told us it was even hot for Thai people! I have accepted the busy holiday resort. Last night as I walked around the crowded streets there was a traditional Thai group of 6 musicians all dressed up in santa outfits!
So we are into the last few days of our long trip. My brain will be happy not to deal with the weird money, vietnamese dhong, laos kip and thai bhat. I am hoping that the cold canadain weather will not come as too much of a shock most of all it will be clean air, family and friends I will relish.
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