First Leg Finish on the Horizon!

Now seemed as good a time as any to check-in by a blog post after being entrenched in school work for 2 months. That, and I needed to do something constructive after hearing about the US electoral results which I will NOT get into detail further other then this one reference because, although I don't live in the US (thank heavens), as a Canadian, I can't stop hearing everyone's opinion about it. And, I might have a new house-guest for the next 4 years with an option for an additional 4 year stay. HA HA HA. Okay, not funny, at all.

Going on, I have been busy keeping up with my studies and finding myself even more motivated, curious and engaged then I have ever been. Seriously. When I first started my undergrad, I just knew I liked biology and science in general and was curious about it. But, at the time, I didn't really know what I was doing or why I was doing it. I was also closed to getting into certain subjects just because I didn't think they were worthwhile.

This semester, I have gotten myself into Human Metabolism, Animal Physiology, Moral Issues, Embryology and Developmental Biology and Advanced First Year Chinese (Mandarin). The two courses that I was prepared to struggle with for 3 months and cry a small river (daily) learning about was metabolism and embryology. Then I thought that I'd be bored to tears about philosophy and Mandarin. Quite the contrary, the course I find most engaging is moral issues! I have never enjoyed philosophy more.

Unfortunately, with the broken leg and the packed schedule, I haven't had much time to consider returning to riding and while I am sad, I don't really have much time to actually be sad. I have though, been getting occasional doses of equine related activities like volunteering for the Ontario University Equestrian Association (OUEA) show hosted by UW the last weekend of October. The format of this type of showing is very different than I'm used to seeing where a rider works with their mount for months or years perfecting the relationship. Instead of riding your own horse, you ride a random horse drawn for you on the day you're showing. They do flat and jumping/hunter classes for a range of rider levels. I admit, not really my cup of tea but an interesting experience to see what that is all about. Unfortunately, due to my mid-term schedule, I had to miss the opportunity to learn to drive miniature horses (I know. CUUUUUUTE!!!). Another time.

I did get to get out to The Royal to support one of Gosling Stables riders show pony jumper in the A's with her rescue pony. She totally deserved it considering the amount of work she's put in. I also had the opportunity to chat with a Hereford rancher about his love of the job and how he's already "retired" four times but can't seem to keep himself idle long enough! Such inspiration.

Reversing a bit, the leg is completely healed and I'm on my own to make it better completely. I still limp if I have to rush somewhere as the quadricep muscles just aren't what they used to be. You probably couldn't tell there's anything wrong until you challenge me to race you to the end of the block: #nothappening. I am glad that I don't need the crutches but I just wish things would go back to normal, faster.

Finally, my brother has taken on a side project and transformed his love of coffee into a viable business in the Distillery District of Toronto and let me tell you, if you are in the area, you have to make it a point to go, not just because I said so, but because you will not be disappointed. It's currently one of my happy places not only because it's a break from studying, but because I get fuelled with the best coffee I've experience. So much love, experience and care goes into each cup that it makes me warm and fuzzy both figuratively and literally!

In the meantime, when I have time, I will make a point to getting around to other blogs, some more reading and another post. Until then, I hope y'all are enjoying yourselves doing whatever it is that you're occupied with :)

New Chapter: 2016 Revived and Revised

I like to think that each year brings new opportunities and chances to improve upon the previous year's shenanigans. I wanted to make this year even more special than it is and track my progress and share it with others to keep myself accountable.

I am returning to school for 2 semesters, then I'm going to apply to vet college to see if I can get in. I thought about it while I was off work but the thoughts only realized themselves during a conversation with Dr. N and EB at work; where we were talking about our perspectives on careers, as children. After EB and Dr. N each discussed a few professions, the words rolled off my tongue without any prior thought, "I've always wanted to be a veterinarian." I wasn't prepared for the statement to be so firm since the end goal is really far away and I've been discussing back-ups and "what ifs", as well as not attaching my brain to the concept of being disappointed if I don't get in. But, that doesn't matter because I know my goal, I know my limits and my abilities and I have an amazing support network.

In addition to going back for full semesters (commuting and not living on campus), I will continue to work at the clinic and learn as much as I can and get the exposure I need. I will also be keeping up the household chores and responsibilities, including my two fur-babies. My goals for this year are...

PERSONAL/SCHOOL/CAREER

• Efficiently use the time I have in between school or work and make good decisions about when not to go to lecture--see snow storms/white-out conditions.
• Get really interested in what I'm learning about--even if it's about something that's boring. I love math!! *groan*
• Take opportunities to learn at work.
• Make school the priority.
• Don't sleep-in on the week days--use the time.

HOUSEHOLD/BUCKINGHAM & STANLEY C. PANTHER

• Extend the chain-link fence along the busy road so that I can keep Bucky and Stanley somewhat contained in the backyard.
• Keep up on house chores.
• Cook as often as possible.
• Continue Stanley's training and desensitization: goal to go for non-traumatic car rides and have him around people when company is over.
• Train Bucky to leash walk down the street and back (this might be a little ambitious but let's give it a try! He already goes about 1/3 of the block like a dog would then starts to get distracted with other things.)

HORSEY/RIDING

• Be okay with riding once a week while in school, if that's what it takes.
• Don't get too down if progress slows this year; keep up with stable life in other ways.

FAMILY

• Hang out with my family at least once a month for dinner/lunch--this should be easy considering I live on the kitty corner.
• Regularly get in touch with my brother.
• Make an effort to visit my IL's at least once a month and not complaining the entire time--it's really not that bad... I'm just being a baby about it.

SOCIAL/VOLUNTEERING

• Reduce the frivolous social activities that don't add value to what makes me happy and aids in my personal growth and progress.
• Try to move into another section of the cat rescue I volunteer with to try something new.
• Say "no" and don't apologize or feel bad about it.
• Make the effort to get together with IG, TW, BM and DB in the new year (first half of the year) at least once.

READING

• I'll take finishing the Christmas book I'm reading now, the "choose your own adventure" gift I got and I'll take whatever I can fit in, from my previous lists but won't get too upset if I don't get around to a lot.
• Seriously consider Scarlet's proposal at a book club and see if/how I can fit it into my schedule but accept it if it's not possible.

I think I've got quite the year ahead of me and all these goals are rather ambitious! I am looking forward to my new adventures and hoping that the universe will assist me in getting to where I want to be.

To Boldly Go...

The last few months saw a couple of big changes in my life that have really challenged my personal sense of security. The biggest one was when I decided to quit my corporate-y job in June. I used to really enjoy what I was doing, who I was working with/for and what sorts of change I was making. But somewhere, that stopped and I started resenting my job and who it was making me become and I forgot why I was doing the things I was and where I was going. I couldn't see myself continue on the path I was on yet feared to make the most drastic change. I thought things might just get better if I stuck it out long enough but that isn't always the case and I needed to know when to cut my losses.

I have become the painter

The decision to leave my job was not taken lightly because I was really concerned about what my family would think and react. I have spent my life living in my younger brother's overachieving shadow and always trying to catch up with what everyone else wanted me to do (often unsuccessfully) so I often have not been too sure of myself. To my surprise, everyone was really supportive and this gave me the chance to explore what sorts of things actually bring a smile to my face and get me excited to get up for work in the dark and cold winters. I concluded a few things ranging from my penchant for efficient processes, desire to continue learning and love of animals and nature.

Make it so!

I have since landed myself in a small animal veterinary practice doing many things ranging from animal care/handling, to client consultation and clinic maintenance. I wasn't sure how things would go since I haven't done any of this work for many years and the business component was something I learned mostly by experience running a community dragon boat club and from my tenure in the corporate world; but none of it was due to schooling or formal training. It could have been an absolute failure but it's been the some of the most fulfilling experiences to date and I am actually excited about going and dealing with the less shining moments and individuals.

As +ADW points out to me, a career is a journey of phases that aim to get you closer to your goal. The goal might not be a specific position (or it could be), and the journey might have some dark and unappealing sections but one just need to keep that goal in mind and take each day as another step forward. The job is just the first step in my phase to moving forward and I am really excited about the upcoming phases that will bring me back to my academic life and seeing where things will take me in the next few years!

A Review: Looptail

I always believed our company culture could change the world. That freedom and happiness would transcend what we do and create a company capable of extraordinary things. 

-- Bruce Poon-Tip

The first time I saw this book, I saw (what seemed like) an employee of G-Adventures reading it during his morning commute into (as Bruce refers to it) Base Camp in Toronto. Although he seemed thoroughly engrossed in his read, my first thought was "oh great... another fat-cat who thinks that he did the world a favour by telling us his story". Naturally, I didn't bother to look it up. But, I've travelled through G-Adventures before... They took +ADW and I to visit (for the complete series of posts) Peru to experience Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail, the Amazon and the Nazca Lines. As much as I enjoy nature and outdoor activities... I have absolutely no interest in camping; it is so low on my list of happy activities that I swore it off permanently. But, climbing the Inca Trail required me to adjust for 4 days, to sleeping on the ground and using nature's outhouse. It was possibly the most inspiring 4 days of my life and I would climb into the Andes again, in a heartbeat.

As I said, I didn't have interest to pick up the book but I love what G-Adventures stands for. I've always identified with what they do as an organization through their core principles as their guiding light to whatever they do. It's revolutionary, to say the least. However, I received the book as part of a talk Bruce did in Toronto last year on the Future of Tourism. I missed his 2012 talk because I had a night class but I was determined not to miss the 2013 one. In short, at the end of the touching and inspiring lecture, he gifted everyone in the audience a copy of the book and I went home with it and put it on my shelf with the determination that I'd read it... eventually.

I'm so glad that I decided to pick it up for 2014 because his concepts and ideas wholly resonate with me. I have the highest levels of admiration for what he does, as an entrepreneur; he didn't just come up with an idea and then worked for a decade or so... he created something, built it from the ground up, dove fully into his concept, made enemies (and won them over or totally blew them away with his innovation) and even recreated himself and the company several times! Through his journey, he rarely took the "easy" route out and continued to forge ahead with his directive to make the world a better place, through travel and tourism. Overall, I found the read incredibly spiritual and inspiring. I'm not a religious person by nature but I do have a good deal of what some consider "spirituality" and reading about his journey and thoughts really spoke to me as a person/at my core; my biggest inspirations from his book is to "pay it forward" and "Do the right thing". It's hard to express my personal feelings and experiences from reading Looptail but I am energized and inspired to do better than I've been doing so far.

Moving away from how the book made me feel, I would discuss opinions about the actual execution of his writing and the book content. The first thing is that I felt the first chapter or so was forced and didn't flow like the rest of the book. I wonder if I had to adjust to his style because he writes the way he speaks. When you read Looptail, it's like you're in a hall listening to Bruce speak about his beliefs and experiences. He doesn't use particularly eloquent prose--he writes succinctly and simply and, as if he's speaking to you directly; it's a very personal approach. He went a step further and built a web page that compliments the book by adding an audio-visual aspect that is otherwise missing from a book. When he talks about a project that Planeterra launched or the lip-dubs that his company makes, globally, he makes reference to a link on that web page. It's definitely a great way to enhance the written word and provide ever changing content to readers turned fans/believers.

I love even more, that through all his actions, experiences and thoughts, you see the quintessential struggles of an immigrant growing up in Canada and then succeeding and excelling through entrepreneurship, by not only harnessing the wanderlust of Canadians, but all the global citizens through a common purpose of learning about other cultures while having an adventure in the most sustainable and responsible way possible. As Bruce mentions, travelling, learning and experiencing other cultures helps us develop as compassionate and learned individuals who will be able to see the world for its diversity and similarity simultaneously. Further, it helps us become better individuals in whatever it is we do on a daily basis because we experience outside of our little bubble. We become driven to do better for not just what we see, but everyone (and everything) around us; it's what he calls the 'Looptail'.

As I've said, it's tough to put into words, one's spiritual experiences and I think there are moments where if you're a non-believer, this book can be a hard sell. To fully embrace the Looptail is not something everyone will take away from this book... but it certainly is a good start for anyone who just wants to expose themselves to something unconventional that is wildly successful... or just for someone who needs a fresh perspective on the world as it is today.

Blog Hop: Continuation School

This is the first time I've tried one of these things; I'm trying the blog hop from Viva Carlos' blog that asks the question: why do you continue to ride?

I have been riding for just under 2 years now. I took it up as an adult because I never had the opportunity as a kid. I could have stopped... considering the location of the stable is an hour each way. I currently ride twice a week (both are lessons) and it's challenging on weeknights to go up on your own when you're already tired. But, I keep going because it allows me to let go of everything that brings me down. Yes, I don't always have a shining lesson and I get frustrated, but I realize that all these things are under my control and I always have the chance to learn and improve.

As well, the change of scenery in every way imaginable is such a huge factor of what keeps me going. I work in an office with little to no autonomy some days and lately, I've been having more crappy than good days. So, when I get up there, the scenery of the country, the air, the animals that don't lie to you or keep a sneaky agenda are all around. Everything is (in a way) pure and un-adulterated by humans.

I sound a little cynical but riding has helped me get on with the cynicism that I have to face on a frequent basis... it helps me refocus and see the forest for the trees. I'm reminded about how complex yet simple nature can be... how fair animals and nature, are--you get back what you put in. I have the opportunity to spend a lot of alone time to reflect or just be. All this aids in redirecting my frustrations and actually helps me apply skills learned in riding (not so much how to canter... but more like learning to change perspective etc) to other areas.

Even when I'm wiped, I still find the time I spend doing this to be very refreshing and helpful with getting me refocused.

Adding Another Layer

I'm so glad that I have stuff outside of work, that keeps me going. Especially when things are not going so wonderfully in other areas of my life (*cough*work*cough*). I haven't told you about the success I've been having with the metronome. Really. For musicians, you understand the love-hate relationship with this object that tick tocks (or beeps) away while you're playing so that you're able to maintain rhythm. I still have a strong dislike of it, but I have really come into learning how to play with it and not completely ignoring it while it just awkwardly accompanies the music. And rhythm is ever so important! Not just for music...

And as I've mentioned before, learning to master a skill is made up of layers and pieces of the whole picture; everything compliments the end result. I think the progression of loathing to tolerance (and hence complimenting) of the metronome has aided me to advance a step forward: I have been graduated from my grade 1 studies to grade 2!! I also received an Appaloosa sticker for my efforts on a "Battle Song" (list C).

Eventually this musical onion will just reek of melodies, rhythm and technique.

A Student's Journey

I want to start off by saying that I had a great evening last night; I had a make up piano lesson. And let me tell you again, it was a great lesson. We've briefly talked about why I re-started, after a decade long hiatus; literally, I had not touched a piano since I quit in high school. I'm a changed student: I've taken to tracking my practice and aim for 30-45 minutes daily. Sure, stuff comes up and I don't always practice as diligently but that's the nature of being an adult student (with anything, really!).

I've mentioned that I want to learn to play a stash of new arrangements and some old ones, but upon further reflection, I have decided to re-do all the grades I did do... from 1 through 8 including the theory. I won't be taking the examinations again but I will be working through each grade as if I was going for an exam. This could take several years but it's like many of the things I've started doing... it always takes time and to do it truly well, you have to diligently work at it regularly because everything has layers and "cross training" will enhance the ultimate goal. Yesterday was the first moment that I had felt like I got any real traction. K told me that yesterday's lesson was genuinely fruitful and that it sounds like I had really buckled down this past 3 weeks.

K is a great teacher for me. She's something of a real "godsend" because she breaks down the layers of playing well and her goals for her students are thorough and robust. The only thing is, I'm terrified of her. LOL really. But I've been scared of every piano teacher I've ever had... it's performance anxiety with just one other person there. Sounds ridiculous, I figure, but that's one of the main things I struggled with as a kid so now's time to grab the bull by the horns and take it on. Hopefully my Toastmaster training will kick in at some point (aaaaaanytime now...)?

Going back to my revised goal, after I get up to that point, I will start thinking about whether it would be worth my time to work towards the ARCT status. There appears to be a varied range of different certificates and diplomas so perhaps I'll see which one works best to what I want to ultimately achieve. I think it would be reasonable (at this point) to easily say that once I get my achieved grades up to snuff, I"ll be looking at moving forward to complete my grade 9 and 10 and then seeing where the wind takes me. I will probably never teach (because I have no patience for people! I mean I was a totally miserable student) or perform professionally but to be able to accomplish something on my bucket list just for me? That's got to be gold. 

Get Up, Stand Up

I used to be that kid... you know, the one that would hide and give up for fear of failure. I was forced to learn to play the piano, get extra math and English tutoring as well as being pushed to excel academically. I did none of these things well, I admit. And, I'm still uncomfortable with failure but with age, I've gotten better at accepting both--a certain level of 'failure' as well as redirecting the fear to something that will help push me to succeeding. Sometimes brilliantly and other times not so much.

No, I didn't have a sudden near-death experience to illicit a fire under my arse but I've been left with my own thoughts about success and failure in a broader term and realized that I can sit here with the fear keeping me seated; or I can get up and do something about it and take control, and either work to excel or stare fear in the face and make the active choice to do what I can and still fail anyways. But, at least I tried.

What am I referring to? I'm on my way to my first piano lesson (again), tonight. Renewing my musical relationship, is on my "bucket list" and naturally, with the way things have been going, I've taken the decision that I want to revive my dormant memory and skills as now's as good a time as any. When I was being coerced to take it, I struggled with always being much less capable than my (younger) brother; he picked up the sight-reading and the tempos and scales like a duck to water. I, on the other hand was like a cod fish on land: totally out of my element. So, I mentally gave up. I figured it would be sufficient to muddle through to complete my RCM grade 8 and stop. I didn't have any interest to do more but figured that at least I 'accomplished' something. This uncomfortable sense of 'accomplishment' I garnered though, stayed with me in the back of my mind reminding me that I didn't really deserve to feel good about being able to say I completed my grade 8; I could barely sight-read. I have not touched the piano in over a decade now and we have two pianos at home: a grand and a small upright.

But, as my friend Dave reminds me, "You're an adult now. You can play whatever you want.". So, my decision is to start up bi-weekly lessons with a local teacher at the Piano Studio Etobicoke. My game plan is to hone and develop my abilities so that I am able to play the new scores I bought yesterday at Song & Script Music Store. I've always wanted to be able to play some of the greatest songs both classically and on-screen or stage and this is my chance to get back 'on stage'.

Surround Sound

Would you believe it if I told you I've never seen West Side Story? Well, that's only half true; I saw it last night at the TSO. But until then, I hadn't seen it before. Despite this disadvantage and the advantage of pop culture and the media, I had already seen all the best pieces of West Side story stitched together from various sources like Family Guy and the Simpsons.

Tony & Maria in love <3

For those of you who are like me, the story is in essence your modern day Romeo & Juliet. Set in the 1950s, two rival gangs duke it out while two of their respective members fall passionately in love. It's an unlikely story but one that is romanticized beautifully so; to the point that I too am drawn in and believe their instant love for one another.

Now, I got the opportunity to finally get to know one of the greatest classical American love stories through the big screen in a live orchestral audience! That's right folks, not only did I get to watch the movie on a huge screen, I got to listen to an incredible live orchestra (the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) play the entire (including the trailer and credits) soundtrack. It was an incredible experience.

The Roy Thompson Hall is acoustically incredible as it is so you can only guess how amazing the sound was, for the movie! Sometimes when I go to the TSO, I get a little bored watching the orchestra and really, it's not terribly exciting all the time. It's really neat to watch the group play together and each section be responsible for their piece that alone, makes no sense but once put together, the whole thing just transforms into something wonderful. But, sometimes... that's not that interesting. So, it was a welcome change to watch the screen and just be pulled into the story with the incredible soundtrack enveloping you.

There was a great rendition of America on Glee!

The neatest thing was how the conductor was conducting! First, this movie is ~2.5 hours and standing isn't going to happen. Next, how did he know when he was supposed to play? It's not like he and the singers could coordinate by communicating with one another. He was at the mercy of the video as it was. He was seated at the podium with a small screen which simultaneously played the movie but when there was musical score, there were these flashes and bars that would travel across the screen--as if prompting him about where they were, in the score!

Needless to say, not only was the opportunity to watch an American classic while being bathed in music but seeing the coordination of the conductor with the movie and the players was truly an inspiring feat!

Amber and I were chatting about it and we hope that the TSO takes their nearly full house as a sign to do more of these types! Can you imagine if they did Star Trek or Rent?

Convergence

On Saturday, ADW and I had plans to bring our parents together to meet. *deep breath* and you know what? It didn’t explode in my face like I was anticipating it might have. Instead, I was surprised in a whole other way… I’ve never been to the Double Tree Chinese Dynasty restaurant near the Airport. The reason for this get together can be found here.

I thought that this might be a nice quiet brunch/lunch that would be pretty uneventful and very normal. Well, it was far from it! we arrived and were surrounded by hoards of costume donning teenagers?? We accidently picked the weekend (and location) for the annual Anime North Convention. This event brings thousands of young people together to share and enjoy something that they have in common: Japanese Anime. I’m not a big fan, myself but I do understand the appeal of a fantasy world and the chance to meet strangers who have similar perspectives and likes as you do. The wonderful thing about these types of events is that it brings together people who are otherwise marginalized by the general population because this world appeals to certain groups of people and not the masses.

These types of events have become more popular in the recent years and the FanExpo of Toronto which started over a decade ago, continues to draw huge crowds of people together to share a common interest. It’s even grown to satellite out in Vancouver! I think it’s amazing that an idea or story can bring so many people together to share and enjoy the I felt it was very fitting that in the background of our own coming together of sorts was another type of coming together of people. I think that we get too wrapped up in the whole business of our own lives that we forget to recognize the importance of families, community and great ideas!

Cheers to the good, courage and amazing, in people!

From Reykjavik, With Love

Saturday is the last chance to squeeze in a "regular" day for us seeing as people seemed to start taking their Easter vacations on Thursday. In the Frommer's guidebook for Iceland, there is a section for "Suggested Itineraries" where various stays are outlined for travelers. Having seen a very fulfilling  1-day schedule which takes one to some of the "must-see" spots in Reykjavik, I decided that today was the day to execute it. Though we started the day later than we should have, we managed to head into town and check out this cozy little book-lined bohemian cafe across from the Culture House/Museum.

Grái Kötturinn

The menu is simple and satisfying: I order pancake with ham, cheese and cream-cheese and ADW has a more traditional eggs and bacon type of breakfast. The coffee here is some of the best I've had in the city and we even tried a carbonated fizzy malt drink.

We head out to the Culture House/Museum next. This museum/house is built in 1909 (I think?) and features transcribed and bound books of the 14th and 15th centuries; stored under low light  and behind glass. The exhibit even goes into the process of the vellum book binding of the Icelandic medieval times.

As ADW probably has worms with a penchant for processed fatty meats, we head to the best known hot-dog stand in the country: Baejarinns Bestu Pylsur to grab a snack. I don't think he's ever going to get sick of hot-dogs...

We browse some of the main tourist streets to pick up some more souvenirs for friends and family and make the effort to drop by the Hand-Knitting Association of Iceland where tourists visit to purchase hand-made traditional Icelandic sweaters and other woolen goods made from Icelandic sheep wool. If you're going to get yourself traditional Icelandic woolen gear, this is the place to go because their products are genuinely hand-knitted in Iceland and use authentic Icelandic wool--which is special in its own right.

The main Christian denomination of the Icelanders is the Lutheran sect and the most prominent church in Reykjavik is the Hallgrímskirkja. This towering architectural monument is one of the most visible and impressive sights in the city. While you either hate or love the architectural aesthetics, their elevator takes you to an unbeatable view of the entire city and surrounding area. The fee to go up is really reasonable and it seems that you can go whenever the church is open--even when the church store/ticket office, is not. I'll be stitching together a panoramic view sometime when I return.

Tomorrow we round up our trip by saying good-bye to the city of Reykjavik to head to our final tourist destination of Iceland: the Blue Lagoon. This geothermal spa is one of the top visited attractions in Iceland and boasts incredible therapeutic spa treatments for those with psoriasis or other skin conditions. Two of the Ottawa girls we met said that they came out and their entire bodies felt soft like baby bum. I feel that this is a necessary event as Icelanders are known for their outdoor geothermal pools, and are known to frequent these types of establishments even when it's raining or snowing out!

(**NOTE: I know, I promised lots of photos but the wi-fi is a bit spotty tonight. So, I'll definitely be getting something together once I return home :) )

Nearing the End of Our Trip

Since I've been busy blogging, I thought it would be good to give ADW a chance to post his thoughts on here too...

Iceland may not be the first destination to come to mind when planning for a trip during a long Canadian winter, but while many Canadians headed to warmer climates in anticipation for our own spring and summer, we headed to the North Atlantic island known for its Vikings and volcano eruptions.

I would describe Iceland as powerful and majestic, yet peaceful and understated. The beautiful landscapes - including mighty waterfalls, dormant volcanoes, and lumbering glaciers – remind us of the amazing geological forces that shape the face of our Earth. At the same time, this sparsely populated island does not have the same frenetic pace that we are used to in North America and allows one the time and peace to properly take it all in.

There are three highlights from the trip in particular:

1)     The horse riding trip through old lava fields was better than I had anticipated. For the last three months, I have been taking lessons at Greyden working hard on improving my riding skills, all the while restricted to the confines of a small arena due to the chilly winter weather. Finally, on our Icelandic horse riding tour, I was able to utilize these hard earned (albeit limited) skills out in the open and be a true horse rider! I was able to control my lively Icelandic horse, ride the Tolt, and experience the canter for the first time while riding through some truly amazing scenery. I’m really glad that the riding lessons have paid off and allowed me to truly appreciate our riding tour.

2)     Hiking on the glacier was a great experience. When I was younger, I had actually visited the Columbia Ice Fields and walked on that glacier, but I never truly understood what it was that I was walking on. Little did I know that glaciers are actually slowly moving, immense structures of ice that carve a path through the land. This time I was able to understand that I was walking on a true force of nature.

3)     Ok, so this is not a specific “highlight” per se, but there is no tipping in Iceland! I have never been to a country where no tips are expected and I like it. A lot. I have no problem paying for good service because I believe good service should be rewarded, but I do have a problem with the entitled North American attitude that a good tip is expected regardless of the service. I am particularly irked when I pay using a card machine and it prompts me to enter a 25% (!!!) tip. The service here in Iceland has been impeccable and I have no major complaints. I really appreciate that our servers and tour guides take pride in doing a good job without expecting a tip afterwards. Kudos for helping us have a great time and I wish we could import this attitude to North America.

I have really enjoyed my time in Iceland and although it is not an in-your-face exciting place to visit, it has won me over with its majestic scenery, amazing experiences, and great culture. This is a place I would like to come back to visit again in the future.

And because ADW is a keeper of factoids, here's a list of facts that he compiled because he thought they were interesting...

A few interesting facts about Iceland:

-     99% of the electricity here is generated by clean sources. 20% from geothermal heat and the rest from hydro-electric

-     The water here is extremely clean and tap water tastes as good, if not better, than the bottled “spring water” that we can buy back home

-     Reykjavik is considered to have the best hot-dogs in the world, and yes they sure are tasty!

-     Icelandic is the name of the country’s language, but it is actually the same ancient Norwegian language used by the first settlers over 1,200 years ago. Icelanders can read ancient Norwegian texts, but Norwegians can not since modern Norwegian has evolved while Icelandic has remained the same

-     Iceland reads and publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world

-     The world’s first openly gay prime minister was elected in Iceland in 2010

-     Many people in Iceland believe in hudulfolk, or hidden people, which include elves, gnomes, dwarves and trolls. Sometimes when driving in the country side, you can see small little colourful homes in the hillsides which are made by people (I’m assuming) for elves

-     Iceland has no standing army, but it is a NATO member. It is currently Canada’s turn to defend Iceland and we have six CF-18’s currently based at Keflavik for a 5-week rotation

We're almost done our trip and I'm sad to be leaving tomorrow but rest assured that there will be at least 1 more post before we leave here--with plenty of photos!

Sport

I've learned long ago that if there is anything you do in your life, you should have purpose to do it; otherwise it's just a waste of your time. So, I've been pondering my riding "goals" for some while. I mean let's face it, learning to ride to swing a sword or shoot an arrow can only really be handy in a few situations: zombie apocalypse or medieval battle field/tournament. Over the holidays, I was watching a lot of Heartland and the first episode of season 4 (Homecoming) inspired me to do more research about the various equine sporting events in existence.

I was 8 or so, when my parents sent me to riding camp at Claireville Ranch over a few summers. I learned to ride western on an Appaloosa horse. I rode independently at the lope, trot and turning, stopping etc. Since it was a day camp, we also had regular trail rides that were typical trail rides where no rider experience is necessary and the horses are happy to follow their buddy in front. It's like getting into a car with a mind of its own; and you'll probably spend more time trying to stop him from eating, than going anywhere. I don't have any appetite for this type of riding anymore.

While the Heartland episode featured Cross Country (which I also find incredibly exhilerating), I stumbled across another equine sport: endurance riding; and came to realize that it tests rider and horse teams on many levels. You must know how to ride at varying gaits for extended periods of time while evaluating terrain and your horse's endurance levels throughout the course, to be successful. Endurance riding is a timed event where the primary measurement for success is a fast time; it's like a running marathon on horse-back.

The history surrounding the development of endurance riding as a competitive sport started in the United States based on European cavalry and breeding program tests. It became a formal sport in 1955, organized by Wendel Robie and a group of equestrian riders who rode from the Lake Tahoe area across the Sierra Nevada Range, to Auburn in less than 24 hours; following the historic Western States Trail. This is currently known as the Tevis Cup and is the most difficult of any 100-mile ride in the world because of the terrain, altitude and temperatures.

I found this video online which gives you an idea about what this mighty sport would entail for its athletes: both rider and horse.

Lesson #6: Symphony of Dialogues

I love having something to look forward to, in the middle of the week. My riding lessons have become the inspiration to help me get through rough moments at work or school. It's as if the harder I work during the day (like the more often I feel like screaming or tearing out all my hair), the more I deserve to get out to the country to get back to basics and communicate with a simple minded (this is never bad in a day and age like we have now) creature: eat, sleep, eat some more and work up to 4 hours a day.

I've been watching videos and reading to get a better idea of horse behaviour. I've never worked with prey animals before so this is different. One of the temp girls at work is actually in school to become a veterinarian and she's specializing in large animals :) That made me happy today.

I still won't get used to the commute out that way... in the back of my mind, I am reminded of how much gas consumption I have when I do this. Anyways, I arrive with extra time to spare and see I'm riding Bonnie today! Bonnie and I have come a ways since we started working together but she's also become more challenging as of late. I admit, my heart sank a little (I was hoping for Indy) but, I took a deep breath, remembered some of the videos I've been watching and reminded myself about who's boss today as I grabbed a lead.

Bonnie is a big muddy piggy again. *sigh* Time to rub and brush off that stuff. This is going to be a long tack-up. I work diligently to get things done and put together as quickly as possible. I make good time and we're called into the ring.

So far, so good. We start with a posting trot with a focus on proper diagonals and changing directions while posting trotting. This has become a little more straight forward for me to get it. I still don't "feel it", but I'm at least able to identify when I'm on the correct diagonal +50% of the time! Hurrah for me! This is improvement from my regular incorrect guess. I continue to work on the seated trot which usually just makes me feel like I'm bopping around on Bonnie's back. I never quite feel balanced and it's challenging even though Sheri and others have told me that everything looks fine--I don't feel fine.

I've discovered that Bonnie is a bit of a follower and wants to be doing what everyone else is doing, where they're doing it. This is proving to be difficult. She's already challenging me right at the start of classes. The silent dialogue usually goes something like...
Me: let's go
Bonnie: go? go where?
Me: just move.
Bonnie: I don't feel like it. My buddies are over this way...
Me: stop it. I'm on your back so you'll do what I say.
Bonnie: as if. eat me.
Me: I'm boss!
Bonnie: ha!

After several times around the ring in both directions, Sheri talks about getting into a canter. I am excited we're moving along to try other things. The aids for initiating a canter are simultaneously: sweeping your outside leg past the cinch/girth and then squeezing with both legs while loosening up your hold and body to move with the horse's 3-beat gait. Add steering and you've got a mess on Bonnie: me. I got her to canter a few steps but she's so darned wobbly that I'm terrified I'll fall off. The other two girls are getting it just fine... give it time, I tell myself. It's my first time and I didn't do too badly since I got Bonnie to canter a few times for a bit. At least she ain't no Rock but no dice today.

My other problem has been being unable to keep my heels down and pressure in the balls of my feet so I keep proper contact with the stirrups. I find I'm gripping with my thighs and thus my feet are riding up to compensate. I'm supposed to both relax my lower body yet give pressure through the balls of my feet on the stirrup. Really, did I ever tell you I'm terrible at keeping up during an aerobics class? And yet, while riding, I'm being asked to do more than I would ever do, simultaneously, during an aerobics class!

Next, we move quickly to the 2-point position and jumping! I didn't think I'd get to jumping for a while. I wasn't prepared when Bonnie did jump that I lost balance. Good thing my fear of falling off keeps me glued on there ;) We do this several times and I'm finding jumping to be good fun. Now... if only I can figure out how to canter...

We finish class with some bareback riding during the cool down. It's interesting to sway side to side with Bonnie's walk. Aside from becoming one with your horse, balance is certainly being tested here! Both Bonnie and I are sweaty and we're relieved that we're done for the night. Time to wrap it up and head home to call it a night.

Lesson #4: Dominance and Control, a lesson in life

I arrive at the stable right on time and now I'm stressed and frazzled. I wanted to get a chance to find a kitten which I'm trying to get adopted out. But, I don't have time because I have to tack up for lessons. I check the board and see I'm riding Bonnie tonight. Hurrah! We're going to become good friends at this rate. It's nice to have something I look forward to, during the week (other then Fridays).

Work has been challenging lately... I find myself upset with things and not keen on the way things are happening. I lament my thoughts and feelings to AW and he tells me, "you're not being very assertive. Stop being the sucker and stand-up for yourself and make it clear that your time is as precious as other people's--regardless of where they are, on the totem pole." I was taken aback because I thought I am generally clear about my intentions and that I'm a "take no crap from anyone" kind of person.

I mount Bonnie and we get the lesson started. Things are going alright... I am getting better at determining posting diagonals and I pick up on the correct diagonal and am able to post for a longer period of time. Lenka asks us to do some 20m circles around the ring while trotting. There's still a lot I'm doing wrong and I'm trying to focus on keeping all my stuff together... sit up straight, don't lean forward, don't lean to one side during a turn, keep your arms in... sheesh! And I think that Bonnie's picking up on my anxiety and "greenness" because now she's lowering her head and shaking it about. At one point, I thought she was going to pull me off! She's stopped listening to me when I want to go somewhere and while we're doing something, she'd stop or do something that she wanted to do. I've lost control.

Now I'm frustrated and slightly embarrassed. Lenka stops me and says, "she's testing you and you're letting her win. All these animals instinctively understand is dominance, punishment and reward. They're herd animals and you need to be that leader that they can follow." I'm flabbergasted. I thought I was assertive and enough of a leader most days. Bonnie is proving me otherwise tonight. Learning about how to deal with horses is a lot different than I thought it might be. But then again, maybe it is about learning a very core and basic mind-set to have and to translate that into life in general.

Kapilow!

No, I'm not trying to wish you successful endeavours in the Klingon language.

Last Thursday, I attended the TSO with Amber and AW for the "What Makes it Great" series. The piece in question? Mozart's symphony Jupiter. Our conductor and host for the evening was Rob Kapilow. I love this series he does because he breaks down the entire piece into very easy to understand patterns. Though he indicates throughout the evening that Mozart's piece is all about random patterns that continually surprise the listener, he's able to highlight patterns of randomness!

The last evening this series was in town, Kapilow focused on Vivaldi's spring time. Rob Kapilow is able to take a piece that most people enjoy passively and break it down in such a manner that depiste your musical background, you're able to hear and thus see what makes each of these pieces so appealing to listeners. His style is informal and inviting as the audience is able to take part actively rather than just passively listening to the sounds coming from the orchestra.

The best part of the evening for me? After a crazy day at work, it's nice to watch a single person create something wonderful with a group of +30 people with each individual doing what is expected of them so that the end product is perfect.

Just when things were slowing down...

My summer's been busy, to say the least. You can tell by the lack of posting on the blog. I said it was going to change and I was genuinely inspired at some point. But, you know how life can be...

By now, I've completed my dragon boat season, I've written my exam and I've told two groups that I'm not returning for the coming season. Mission accomplished. Now, I've got to get ready for my trip to South America... to Peru!

This item is one of my bucket list items to do the hike up to Machu Picchu. And... I don't enjoy camping in any fashion--I'll be camping for 4 days straight. Once in a life time, I keep telling myself... once.in.a.life.time. This is the trip I"ll basically be doing: http://travelogues.x10hosting.com/Ecuador-Peru_Trip_Report-Part2.htm

I'll work on getting pictures posted and blogging about my experience when possible. Time to get some shut eye... t-2 days!!

It's All About ME!

My blog, my posts, my photos... me me ME!

I've been nominated for the Living Passionately Award, by my good friend and fellow blogger, Amber! I'm feeling particularly sparkly from this nomination considering I don't have a wide readership as it is and so I never thought I'd be nominated for anything! Regardless, I'm flattered to have been thought of, for this award since I've been recently struggling with difficulties with a waning creativity in this blog.

So, here's the way the award works...

1. Post the rules: http://notlostjustweird.com/2012/05/14/living-passionately-award/
2. Do something out of the ordinary (for me, I presume)
3. Nominate other bloggers whose passion and awesomeness I admire

Actioned:

1. Done, see above.
2. I haven't turned the boob tube on for several weeks now. In fact, it's been so long that I'm behind on Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, Nikita, Big Bang Theory... all shows I was keeping up on, very regularly at one point. I think that I'm more than half a dozen or so weeks behind. Usually a difficult task for me!
3. Who to nominate... I have to admit, I don't follow too many other blog because I barely have the time to keep up on my own. But, I love artsy crafts (if I ever find the time) and I think this blog is freakin' awesome: Crayons & Milk

(p.s. this is a temporary pause until my next post)

Stewards of the Earth

Several weeks ago, I had more time and I attended the Green Living show. I heard about it through my monthly ROM newsletter and it included a free admission for 2, to go. My first draw was, unabashedly, the fact that it was free. I wasn't certain what I was in for and was concerned that it might be a hippie-dippie event with some lame stuff all collected together with no real common element to link them together.

Boy was I wrong.

The event was extremely well attended and there were many people in attendance. The first stuff I saw was some home improvement vendors that didn't interest me much because.. well, I don't have a home to do things to. Although, I think the idea of completely living off the grid to be really enticing it isn't something viable right now. Maybe one day.

I saw many intriguing things that day: reclaimed wood used for furniture or accent pieces, a soapless laundry ball, artisan food vendors, rain barrels, organic clothing, the ROM exhibit about oceans, Loblaw's sustainable cooking show, the Yike Bike, buckwheat pillows, glass straws... so many interesting alternatives!

There was an argument that one of my more "activist" type friends had with me last year, about "being responsible". The idea is something I've been trying to incorporate into my life for a long time since I do understand that while we live on Earth, we are only temporarily borrowing it from our future generations. If we ruin things now, there won't be anything left for anyone else. At the same time, our society progresses and continues to thrive because of the very fact that we are able to exploit something to our benefit so that we can (for example) go to a store to buy our food and expect it to be in exactly the order we always know it as... not have to go foraging or hunting for god knows what.

For example, about our food: science has come a long way and we know how to tinker with animals, plants and their genes so that we can get what we want. While some natural breeding selection is necessary for our food (this is only one aspect of this whole thing) to be accommodated for our changing lifestyle as a society, I think there is always a minimum standard that should be maintained in terms of a natural method to raise animals where humane practices are executed.

The show was a great opportunity for me to find more alternatives to activities and items that I do enjoy and want to continue to enjoy, but making a more responsible choice that won't impact the Earth and others negatively; afterall, what's good for mankind is good for each one of us.

Prodigal Geek

I never got into science fiction, horror and fantasy... I was just always drawn to those genres--be it television, cinema or literature. It's part of who I am. So, it was no surprise that I got really excited when a marketing piece came on The New VR. Anyone remember? It's a Barrie television station that has affiliation with CityTV. The commercial featured a series of sci-fi and action stars that I followed on my weekends. One of them, was the amazing Hudson Leick of Xena: Warrior Princess. I am pretty sure that I wet myself from excitement like a miniature Chihuahua. In addition to advertising for the expo, they were seeking volunteers... volunteers LIKE ME!

I contacted them and said I was EXTREMELY interested and that I could be a critical asset to the team of volunteers they were assembling for the weekend. I got a call to attend their orientation meeting. There I met Philip, Matt, Little Joel, Big Joel, Asian Joel, Toni and Aman; partners in crime for the years that I continued to help out.

At one point, I sort of went on a hiatus to pursue other personal interests... much like a young senior would consider doing before going off to university; I thought I had to find myself so I stopped going. I say 'sort of' because I continued to watch many of these shows--new and old. Behind closed doors, I was watching Star Trek Voyager, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek The Next Generation... Regardless, I thought I was growing out of this phase of my life.

Years later, while watching tv with AW, an evolved version of the same ad about the expo played. This time, it wasn't me who got excited... it was AW, "wowow! Edward James Olmos! Damn that's expensive...". I looked up and replied, "We can go if you want. I've friends I can visit". I think AW crapped himself when I said that. We didn't get the date right and missed Edward James Olmos that year.

This year, we flew out to Calgary for the ST: TNG 25th anniversary fanexpo. This is the first time in over 2 decades that a cast who played together for nearly a decade, came together. I stood in line again. I waited for ~2 hours. I saw patrons in cosplay. I smelled the UW math nerds. I blow dried AW's hair to look like Lore and painted GM's ears for his Data costume. And you know what? I missed it. It felt really good to be back--so to speak. To make things come full circle, I bumped into Aman in Calgary of all places.

A lot of things have changed since I first went into this bright eyed and bushy tailed. But, when I reflect upon this weekend's events I realize that I can't wait until I can return to the Toronto fanexpo.