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It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

Some of you will be very glad to know this.I threw out my 6 year old, Silver, holey jeans.

Some things just have to die.

All the World is Green

Oh! Well hello there. It's been some time, non? You know, with all this Christmas/NYE brew-ha-ha and hullabaloo, time goes by quite fast. It was a grand one though. Lots of laughter with familiar faces and some more rare. All was fantastic. But what is finally sinking in, is that I leave in 13 days. Like, bugga mate! The excitedness and nervousness (the good kind) has hit me and I am lighting with giddiness.

I am spending two weeks in western Canada with friends and familiar faces. Proceeding, is a year spent traveling New Zealand. All new faces. None look the same. Isn't that cool!? Not one face I know. My main focus will be on organic farming and learning how to live off of the land, through an organization called Wwoof. Check out the link. In exchange for my work 4-6 hours a day on their farm, they feed me, accomodate me, and teach me things about farming. Also cool. And this is mostly how I will make my way around the country and meet people.

Of course in between farming, I plan to partake in such fun things as scuba diving and snorkelling, zorbing, working at an orchard, seeing live music, a flight and dive to the Great Barrier Reef in OZ, shearing a sheep, and finding those damn dolphins.

I am taking my computer with me so that I can write, store pictures, listen to my music, and to check in online to post pictures and email when the opportunity arises. Uh oh. I just lost the meaning for "opportunity" while trying to check the dictionary for spelling. But at least I now know how to spell it. Anywho, I will make a new blog for the journey. Haven't thought of the name yet, but it will be there eventually. So until January 16th, I am spending my time downsizing and organizing, and spending time with people. So give me a holla! And if by chance I don't see you, then, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.

Here goes chapter 3.

This Is The Current

Oh I love listening to The Current. Anna Maria Tremonti, you've done it again. I must acknowledge that overall, I have a fairly non-chalent and passive disposition, but from time to time The Current gets me fired up and I would be compelled to say that I thoroughly enjoy it.

Today's topic was on Christmas shopping. A subject that gets my blood boiling slightly to begin with. What is so great, is that the topic is touched on from all points of view, and leaving you with no real feeling of biasedness*. They begin with an interview of high school students encouraging people to downplay the commercialism of Christmas through a play. Good for ye, I thought. Christmas is a celebration to bring people together and be merry. Hence, the Merry Christmas.

Cut forward. Now the interview is turned to an American philosophy professor who claims, "it's time to make Christmas even MORE brazenly materialistic than it already is." Oh yay, I get to yell at the radio again! Firstly, he refers to those who don't believe in a commercial Christmas, as "morons." Calm yourself Iago. He then semi-redeems himself by noting that Christmas should be spent however you feel it should be spent. Whatever your religious or holiday beliefs are, celebrate in your fashion. OK, fair enough. Then Anna asks, "So what do you feel about people who spend their Christmas adopting a goat for a family in a third world country, say, Tanzania?" He replies, "Well that's fine if they want to spend their Christmas on a goat for a family in Tanzania..." And here's the kicker:

"But the people of Tanzania don't want a goat for Christmas, they want global capitalism."

Actually, instead of yelling, I laughed. I laughed at what a silly comment this was. Because frankly, a family in a third world country would probably LOVE a goat. And water. And other food. And medicine. And maybe some eye glasses. Professor Andy Bernstein seemed pretty certain that buying more things for Christmas, will (given) help the economy, thus expanding capitalism on the rest of the needy world. I am sorry Dr. Bernstein, but if the people of North America buy more things for Christmas, all I can see happening, is people becoming more greedy and less willing to share their riches with the rest of the Earth.

There really is a person for each possible opinion. I think I'll stick with the one about togetherness and sharing. And on that note, Merry Christmas y'all! Love.

*I looked up "biasedness" in the dictionary and it wasn't there. But that is the word I felt was right. Correct me if I'm wrong. Which obviously I am, pertaining to Merriam-Webster.

Hello, Goodbye

I love that my Dad went to a wake and as well as paying his respects he got a free daytimer out of it.

Hymns to the Silence

You really have to admire (and secretly giggle) at those strangers who deem it neccessary to tell you as much about their life in the shortest amount of time when you haven't even asked them a single question. Not to mention that you have never laid eyes on them before. They are few and far between, though I run into them momentarily. But nothing was like the guy in the line behind me at Timothy's yesterday.

I am yawning in the line up. The man says:
"Late night studying?"
"Nope. Late night of just not sleeping."
"Oh I know all about that. Working shift work for 13 years will do that to ya."
"Yes, it certainly will."
"Especially living in Korea for 4 years."
"Oh yeah?"

Maybe is was the way I questionly accented the "oh yeah?" But he continued to tell me about the wake-up calls he would receive from large, old Korean men coughing and spitting outside his window. He then went on explaining Korean terms for this practice and the direct translation. Meanwhile, I'm trying to opt between the smoked salmon bagel or the black forest ham, without coming across rude and uninterested. I mean, I'm all about talking to strangers, but when I'm hungry there is no time for talk.

And I must admit, after my lunch date plans with Christopher had fallen through, and my whole Thursday's To Do List was an utter and complete failure, I was no in mood for chat. I ate alone and hoped it to remain that way. Indeed I do applaud you Line-Up Man, as I would probably never start off my small talk that way. But giv'er if ya got'er.

She Will Be Mine, Oh Yes, She Will Be Mine

So you know what I did? Well yes, some of you know, but I am still a little shocked at myself for doing it. Mostly because what I've done, is something I indulge into in my own privacy. When no one is home and the mood is right...

I sang. I sang outloud. I sang outloud into a microphone. I sang outloud into a microphone in front of real live people. Aliens maybe, but creatures with a complete nervous system no doubt. And No, it wasn't karaoke. I have been practicing with friends Niall and Bobby, the guitars, on a weekly basis as we try to string together songs of interest to practice and play and sing. I am Mick Jagger and they are Keith Richards. We practice acoustically or with a low volumed amp so as to not drive people completely mad with the repetition. So we got a few songs down pat, through and through and then almost as if Freddie Mercury was looking down on us from Rock 'n' Roll Heaven, we were given a chance to play with loud amps and microphones. A beam of sunshine breaks through the clouds right about here. And I'm singing a poorly sung opera-pitched note.

So what I thought was a friend hooking us up with a venue to loudly and practice in, turned out to be a private function of about 20-ish people! With a sound guy! It was very casual; people jamming on stage, drinking, et cetera, but not what I was expecting. I thought I'd be singing to my "band-mates" alone, who I had finally become comfortable singing around. A big deal, this may not seem, but I was nervous. I sing alone, not sure even if I can, knowing though that I can at least maintain a note. And here were people to hear me! Ack! But this I would not let scare me away. I took a deep green breath, hopped on stage, shook but did not stir, and sang my first song. And after one bluesy rendition of Revolution, I wanted more. And more I sang.

And again, I want more. I had so much incredible fun being part of it all. It was the greatest kind of adrenaline rush thus far. It reminded me of being in band at school. Everyone doing their own one thing that makes such a huge impact on the overall sound. Everyone's grooving and listening to each other. Man, making music just fucking rocks.