Lots of changes.

Im still get comments and readers for this blog. So since I received a new message yesterday, thought I should update things.  I was going to post some photos but I see that I now must install google photo before I can. Never did that in the past, and won’t start now. Big Brother knows more than enough about me, so sharing my photos with google is not gonna happen.

When I figure out a way around this photo issue I’ll be back.

I haven't looked at this blog for about a year.  I see people are still reading it and making comments too.  Thank you for the feedback.

As I've not left Canada for quite some time, I kinda felt like there was not much to report.

Im still loving being home, but miss my wonderful friends back in SE Asia.

As other parts of North America get hit with earthquakes I ponder the fact that it will be our time soon too.  Sure wish people in Vancouver would take this seriously.  There is no preparation for such a disaster. And the lack of thinking - if they live in a high point in the city, they believe they are spared.  Not thinking of power out because lines down, phone service out, because lines down. And no water because the water lines and sewer lines are broken. The people are like sheep, or perhaps ostriches with their heads in the sand.  I think it is time to go back to the island where at least everyone there works together when such an event occurs.  Vancouver is a place of 'every man for himself'.

Already September. Where did the summer go?  I'm off to the island again and happy to be going.  So looking forward to the slow pace of the island, and all that goes with it.  Also very interested in seeing the latest renovations and new landscaping taking shape.

Now another year passed, here's what's new.  Birthday time for Ryan, mine coming up soon, and summer in Canada.  Other than that, nothing much.

I need to get my act together.  I've decided to transfer my Master studies to UBC.  It was impossible to get my thesis written at the asian school, and such a shame to let it end without completion.  Now I need to submit my request formally and prepare for taking some of the classes over in order to write my paper here in Canada.  Now that I have written this, I am hoping that I actually will get that process started.

Here goes.

Imagine

I came back when I realized how many people view this blog.  I must be saying something interesting when I see statistics of 50,000 viewers in a week.  So, hopefully I will say something here that can make a difference.

My son and I have had many philosophical discussions on the state of the world today.  He is far more knowledgeable of the situation around the globe because he has experienced it first hand in many places.  He is a caring man.  He wants to make a difference.  So do I. But I have no idea how.  Which is what brings me to my thoughts today.  The world seems to think that we cannot make a difference in India regarding the starving people and over crowding.  Why?  I'm not sure.  But what I am sure of is the fact that we are all humans. We all have basic needs. Some of us have them. Others do not.  And then, by the magic of my short attention span, I ended up listening to and singing along with John Lennon's famous song - Imagine.  If you want to as well - here it is - Imagine

I think one of our biggest problems in this world is that everyone appears to be territorial.  Look after their own. Forget the rest.  The holocaust happened many years ago.  Many people died. It was wrong. But it is the past. It is over.  No, we wont forget it. But it is over. What is NOW is that millions of people are starving in India. Why?  Maybe overpopulation, maybe other reasons. But the fact remains. Millions are starving. According to statistics, that number is 800 million.  What are we doing about this?  The number far outreaches the holocaust.  And is happening now. Can we not learn from the past that we need to do something now to stop this horendous situation?

We in the western world can only imagine the poverty.  Some send cheques; some dont. But in any case; India needs our support. There is an organization on this planet that knows how to organize others and share the wealth.  If those who keep the holocaust alive channeled some of  their energies into a current plight of people, maybe that statistic in India would not be the same. We need someone to lead.  Others will follow, once there is a leader.  John Lennon gave us the words. it is up to all of us to imagine a solution and then act upon it.

Happy Canada Day

I see people are still reading this blog, so thought I should post the Canada Day flag.

Look what's growing in the garden today

The Subtlety of Racism

The next time you look at someone who does not match your own culture or background keep this short video in mind.  It shows us how we look at others and make assumptions that do not match reality. Click on the link below and open the video to full screen so you can see the minimal text.

wrong assumptions

nothing really new here

Now having been home for many months, I have discovered that moving back is a tad similar to moving to.  Just like being a foreigner in a new country, we return to find out that we have to make adjustments to what we thought was known.  The one thing I craved was to be alone.  Living in a country about the size of the island where I now call home but with a greater population than my whole country made me want solitude and quiet.  Landing in one of our country's largest cities and staying there for months did not address that need.  But eventually I got here and spent an incredible summer trying to figure out how to be a gardener.  If there are marks given for gardening I scored -F.  But it was fun, it was exercise, and it entertained me for quite some time.  The end result is several beds of dirt, picked clean by the bunnies and deer.  They are not all that bright either.  If they had any amount of patience they could have scored some mighty fine veggies instead of small 2 leaf plants that they constantly raided when the farmer went to bed.

No one understood that I did not want to drive a car.  No one here knew what kind of driving I had been doing for three years in an insane country as far as driving goes.  I certainly did not want to drive a car with my precious grandchildren in it. Never sure which way to look for traffic, never sure which side of the road I was supposed to be on; especially after making a turn; was not the time to take little people for a spin in a frantic paced city where they live.

Bliss - almost - was mine when I came home to the island. Not knowing what was in store for me with the dishonest, derelict, dumb** construction workers, I made my way to the island paradise to settle in and study for final exams.  Almost having an emotional breakdown as I witnessed their stupidity and realized I could do nothing about the situation, I also realized I had to stay there to possibly avoid even worse.  Just like the famous Beetles song - I get by with a little help from my friends - I survived the ordeal. I am sure they all wanted to change their phone numbers, but they kindly talked me through the days of hell.  Thank you friends!

Now as the summer sun drops further to the south, causing me to readjust my chair when I do crossword puzzles in the morning on the verandah, I look forward to another new experience. Fall leaves.  I have not seen fall leaves for four years.  It makes me recall describing this phenomena to my Asian friends who had never seen them. They honestly did not believe that leaves can turn into the brilliant array of a crayola crayon box each year.  Come to think of it, they don't even know what crayola is.  But I am sure I am going to be magically mesmerized as I watch this annual event occur over the next few months. Living in the tropics gave me thought to ponder. After the second year of living in my house, which was directly across a road from a jungle, I looked up from my keyboard and thought 'these trees looks exactly like they did last year, in fact exactly like they looked all year'.  After a google search I discovered that although they look exactly like deciduous trees, these guys do not go through a shedding of leaves and budding of new ones. The same leaves I had looked at last year are still exactly there for me to see this year.  Being a season person it really felt strange to think that leaves do not die.

It is strange knowing that whatever I might want from the grocery store, I can have.  When away I was always thinking I had won a lottery if I found an apple or a piece of beef that resembled a steak. This became so ingrained in me that shopping here brings out the same joy when I score a fresh peach or fall apple.  I have to admit though, I do miss the fabulous fruit that I gorged myself on and switched from one to another as the seasons presented the bounty.  I think I exaggerated.  There was never a piece of beef that resembled anything other than maybe some lumps of stewing meat.  Whenever I returned for a visit I begged my friends to not serve me chicken. Chicken was the only meat that I could get there, and if prepared for me, it was 'rare'.  Having never eaten rare chicken before that, I never acquired a taste for it then or since.  It took me a long, long, time to be able to eat chicken again.

Something that puzzles me now that I am back is the background required to teach English here.  I always felt that international experience is a bonus on the resume. What I have discovered is that people are working here in this field having never stepped out of the country.  How can they understand the cultural differences of those coming here trying to fit into ours?  I am having enough difficulty myself, and I am a native.  When I hear these teachers moan about the lack of enthusiasm in the class, and lack of participation from the students I don't bother to tell them that these people need to build a relationship before they begin to participate.  I hinted at that, and was told that if they are here they have to figure out how to fit in.  I don't agree. Ooops.

I am not sure that this blog will have a long life.  Somehow I think that I have assimilated back into home, and that could become rather dreary in reporting here.

I Can See Why People Keep Coming Back Here

I did a google check on the new blog and it seems to return you to this one. So, I guess I will plod along here as I see there are many followers.

Nothing much new here today. I am trying to figure out what size of beast is attacking my compost bin at night. I am thinking it is a bear, because removing the locked lid and tossing it a considerable distance is not something a smaller critter could do.  As long as he visits in the night when I am definitely not outdoors I guess we can co-exist.  Maybe I should just package him a snack before I go to bed and leave it on top of the bin lid.

Time to go

I have decided to sign off here. The readers are dwindling, and I really don't have a lot to say about the adventure any longer. Probably due to the fact I am not on that adventure any longer.

If you want to follow my new adventure you can find me at The Stubble Jumper Goes Home

Imagine

My First Labour Day and More Adventures

What I have learned since I returned to Canada is that much like an immigrant moving to a new country, and much like I felt going to Malaysia, I did't fit. I am not sure why this happened. I just know that it did. Three years away from what I knew left me looking from the outside in. I knew it all, but I was no longer a part of it all. I had to learn how to be here. Maybe it was because I had no home. That sounds dramatic, because my daughter wanted me to live in their home. They had a room for me with privacy, but in that room I had luggage full of tropical clothing.  All else was in storage on the island. I arrived in near winter. I was frozen. Not wanting to buy more winter clothing, I would traipse down to Fraser street and buy the odd fleece or sweater to wear over and over until I got back to my things on the island. Now what?  I had to do another semester of my master degree, so settled into writing the papers and completing the assignments. It was wonderful reacquainting myself with the grandchildren. But exhausting too. In Malaysia I loved all the little children, but I could go home after a day with them. Here, it was 24/7. Then my wonderful son surprised everyone and got married and bought a house on the island. Not intending to live there immediately, they asked me to stay there to keep an eye on the place. Now several months later, tons of construction, and now more construction, I still have not been able to deal with my own stuff. My things are out of storage, but still boxed up with nowhere to go. I am so fortunate to have children who want me. Many others do not have the same.
This labour day weekend was fantastic.  After a $ store trip gathering all sorts of trinkets and toys for the kids we had scavenger hunts, a trip to the Victoria petting zoo, movies, and $store shopping for the kids. We played games, we drew pictures, we ate birthday cake.  Seeing this island paradise through the eyes of children is a gift one appreciates. Although the trip is just across the Straits, I appreciate all the time and stress it takes to make it happen. Thank you Jennifer for making it happen.
Now I see that I need to realize I do belong here. I know I can drink the water from the tap. I know that I drive on the right side of the road. I know that we have seasons, and each one of them has its own beauty.
I also know that I better get my butt in gear and finish that thesis. No one is going to do it for me. Right now I will climb up on those bunkbeds and put the clean linen on, ready for the next journey back to see Nana.

But first, a delightful Canadiano from my red espresso that waited those three years for my return.

Be The Change....

Anyone who has received an e-mail from me knows this line.  For that reason, I think I have taken on a job that is right for me - at least at this moment it is.  As I arrived for my first day of working with international students at the school on the lake I was greeted by this sign outside the cafeteria.

Another bonus for this job is that it is a few km from where I live.  No more racing up and down the mountain.  Here is the view from the classroom where I teach. At the waterfront there are kayaks and canoes for the taking during classes.  Now all I have to do is get my knee to cooperate and bend adequately to fit inside those vessels.

Life is good.

Gone Fishin'

My family rented an RV and took off for places unknown (to me) for a fishing trip with the children. After Levi's teacher at school took the students fishing, he has had a hankering for doing it again.  So, somehow they found a place to camp in the RV and almost guaranteed catching trout.  So  I am guessing they will be dining on fresh trout for the couple of nights they are away.

As for myself, I am staying home on the island as I have taken on a new job once again.  I am teaching at the local international school here at the lake. How much better can life get?  A few km from home and I am at work! No more mountain journey to and from work.  Now that is what I call perfect.  I will be working on the holiday Monday.  After all, they cannot just lock up the international students in their rooms just because there is a provincial holiday here, right?  Besides, I am easing into this. Only working 3 days a week.

A couple of happy faces!

One for my Malaysian Friends

I know how much you all adore and worship your cats there. But here is a great video of how much tenderness and patience a dog has when teaching their offsprings.

Hope you enjoy

parenting and teaching in the animal world

My Little Munchkin Graduated

My granddaughter finally is in 'big kids' play school. She has waited for a long time to get there and finally the day arrived.  Here are a couple of pictures showing her pleasure in the new location. It was time for her to graduate. She is such a sweet caring little girl and somehow she ended up staying with the little toddlers too long because she was so kind to them all. Now it is her turn to have fun and be who she is.  A big girl!

  

Three Days of Work and Things are Getting Easier

Now that I am settling into a routine I am finding I have more energy and ability to even climb the nasty hill.  The campus is on the waterfront facing the Pacific Ocean, and the entire  road system and buildings are on the steepest hill you have ever seen.  There is a parking lot at the bottom right next to the shoreline, and then one on top near the entrance. I park in the top one.  Then down the hill I march, much like climbing down a wall, and then homeward, back up the hill, which is a killer.  But I recall all the years I belonged to a gym and used the stairclimber and paid to use it.  Here it is free - the only membership cost is stamina.  The first day I did it I thought, wow, I managed!  The second day anticipation had me trying to figure out how to avoid it.  I was considering contacting the campus maintenance people to give me a lift.  There are actually golf carts that take disabled people up and down the hill on a regular basis.  But, I won't buy into that.  I will not let myself think I am disabled.  Today, I climbed the hill and actually had a conversation with someone on the way up.  I  must be in better shape than I thought.  I was considering joining the gym at school, but why?  The drive home is confusing.  Friday and Tuesday were insane bottlenecks on the highway which had me sitting and crawling for about 25 minutes before I could actually drive. So today I anticipated the same, but somehow, today, like Monday, it was clear sailing. There is no logical explanation for the changes in traffic patterns so I don't know why it was easier today than yesterday. But I won't complain.
My students are doing great. They are surprised themselves over this.  When I teach, I don't tend to tell them anything. I make them find the answers.  Today was quite funny.  I wrote 8 sentences and then cut each into separate words. They had to work together and piece these words into 8 sentences again. And if you know anything about ESL learners, the, a, at, on, in, to show up in the craziest places in their written and spoken language.  I don't blame them. English is a  language that adds so many more words to a sentence than any other language. As a result they all learn about 'the' and 'to' and use it everywhere.  They even told me that there were not enough 'to's in the words I gave them.  But eventually they figured it all out and were beaming with their accomplishment.  Yay students!

To Garden or Not to Garden - that is the question

Living amid deer and rabbits is not a good recipe for gardening veggies.  I have the most pathetic little patch of wanna be plants you have ever seen.  Anything that is flourishing is not because of my intervention.  The former owners must have understood what to grow and why.  Lettuce, zucchini, carrots, beets, peppers, and a few others do not fit in that plan.

We have all seen a little old lady with a hairy mole on her face. yes?  Well that is what my carrot patch looks like. And about the same size.  Everything that tries to grow here is nibbled off by the midnight bandits and what I see in the morning is stems, or nothing. I have completely admitted defeat with the first little bed I planted.  Nothing survived and what has taken over is a bed of nasturtiums.  I like nasturtiums. Deer and rabbits don't appear to.  That is good.  The tomato plants appear to be unscathed. They are probably waiting for the actual tomatoes to grow. As for romaine, I won't be serving any caesar salad from this crop.

The flowers are spectacular. No thanks to me. They were already here.  And each day there is a new burst of fragrance and vivid colours bursting open around the property.

This could all sound like some serious whining. But not so.  I have had fun thinking I am a gardener. It was a good thing I had no idea of what kind of work it required, or that after the work was done that there would be no reward at the end of the day.  Doesn't matter. I will likely do it all again next year, and see what happens then.  I will never forget the profound peace I experienced during that week of hard labour. I have no idea what happened that week, other than a great deal of weeding, planting, and dreaming. And all it cost me was time and a few bucks to buy some little wee seeds.

Now time to finish up the research project so that I can be ready to be a teacher again in just over a week.

Happy Canada Day

So nice to be back.