...hiatus...

I give up. I don't have the dedication. No. I do have the dedication, but I forget I have it so I might as well not have it at all. Confused?

I'm heading out to Ross River for the summer. Out in the boonies. Won't have a computer. Hopefully, when I come back I can tackle my silly blog once more, with feeling.

Before I depart, consider the following:

• What will people say about you when you die?


• What will you remember best about your job when you retire?


• We are all going to die - maybe today, maybe 30 years from now. What will you be doing?


• You spend an awful lot of your life at work, I really hope you enjoy it.


• The universe is expanding while the planet is growing smaller.


• Dream big, it's free to do so.

And...Choose curiosity over certainty

"At your mark..."

Christ, what happened to April? I was so busy being unemployed that it just whizzed by. That's embarrassing, I thought I was on a bit of a roll too...

Things...#983

This one combines three things that I never imagined would go together (department stores, tiny islands, and racing) and so very much intrigues me. It's the 'Rally El Corte Ingles', sponsored by the well-known department store (well-know that is to anyone who's spent any time in Spain), and Gran Canaria's biggest car rally. Yes, biggest. That suggests there are others. Intrigued? Read on.

Approximately 75 teams compete for the Spanish and European Championship and about 60 teams for the Canaries Islands Regional Championship. The 623km course (yeah, crazy eh? I'm picturing them driving around in circles) is divided into eight stages of mixed terrain in various locations around the island which includes some gruelling mountain sections.

Now, while I hardly need an excuse to go to the Canary Islands (only troglodyte would) it's the fact that this little island in the Atlantic can have a rally race of any length. Way to go. And as we all know, rally racing is the only interesting form of car racing. Leave it to the Americans to herald NASCAR as anything more than a dick measuring contest. You only have to the end of the month before it's finsihed, so hustle over to the Canary Islands. [Editor's Note: ledgend speaks of a similar race on Tenerife - what are you waiting for, book your tickets already!]

"It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken..."

Things... #957

(Time to get philosophical. Look out.) There comes a time in every young man's life when there are choices to be made. Choices between things that sound appealing and things that are real. I have a real attraction to things that sound appealing. It's a long list of things that wow and amaze me and it would deserve a blog of its own to do it justice.
So I will stick to jobs that sound appealing. Jobs that I'm not doing, but would certainly like to be. No, scratch that. I don't really want to do these jobs, they just sound neat and that alone is fascinating, attractive... and ultiamtely dangerous. Feel free to expand this this which is by no means exhausted. Oh, and no giggling.
- Secret Agent
- Travel writer
- DJ on a cruise ship
- Scuba instructor
- B&B owner is some sunny vaction spot
- Surfer
- Independent music store owner
- Dog trainer
- Movie star
- Screenwriter
And the list goes on like this. Suffice to say, I've considered all of these jobs and more with little success or stick-with-it-ness. And the list is growing daily. Now I'm considering the virtues of policing. How deep does the rabbit hole go?

A Wicked Case of Homesick Blues?

Things #2

It's weird, but I think what I'd like to be doing right now is helping out in the garden back home. This has never happened before. Usually, whenever my mother invites me to lend a hand in the yard I run for the hills, move away, or stick out my hand for payment. But right now, that sounds like a sweet deal... along with the usual benefits of living with said parentals.

Someone else cooks, fun farm animals abound (including not one but TWO Border Collies), you can talk with people you know without the usual "let's be friends" tactics that I can never understand, and for all the plainess and predictability it really feels like a holiday.

So here's to helping out at home, another thing that, regrettably, I'm not doing.

Quit Horsin' Around!

Things # 316

April is just about here, so get ready for the Peruvian Paso Horse Festival! That's right. "Peruvian." One of my favourite words to say. For all your Equus action, head to Pachacamac about 30 km south of Lima. From there, keep your eyes peeled for Mamacona Stables.

You can get more info at peru.info, but you have to navigate through a couple confusing pages and it likes to switch back to Spanish. Of course, if you know Spanish then all the better.

This Peruvian horse is a special breed, with a high gait to handle travelling in the sandy coastal regions. The traditional costume of the riders is as seen below, and there are plenty of dressage style competitions to go with it.

The Festival is month long, so you have plenty of time to buy your tickets and hustle down to Lima. Listo?

Skeet Surfin' (It's Alright)

Things... #7

I'm a little biased here. I could fill an entire list of things only from Costa Rica. I spent a month there and only saw a small portion of the country, a country that is slightly smaller than West Virginia (yeah, useful comparison, I know).
Residents of the Great White North like to get all excited and patriotic about our wilderness, animals, clean air etc. Well, I don't know how many Costa Ricas you can fit inside British Columbia, but I promise you the forests are as green, the wilderness as rewarding and the animals a lot easier to spot. Plus, as a bonus, you can swim all year round! I should be filling out my visa application as I speak. Sigh.

It's supposed to be the best (or 2nd best, depending on your source) left left hand break in the world. For surfers (unlike myself, but I can learn) this is a pretty big deal. The beach is in an out-of-the- way (though increasiningly popular) southern corner of CR, near the border with Panama. Check out pavones.com/ or the video below. Pura vida!

Swoyambhunath - Pronounced Like it's Spelt...

Things I'm Not Doing (but would to to be) #1139

If you take off to Kathmandu, Nepal and be sure to visit some of the amazing pilgriamge sites. Of particular note and interest to me is Swoyambhunath. A bit of a mouthful, I know, but it looks very impressive from its hilltop perch.

The word means "Self-existent One" and is believed to have been established more than 2,500 years ago. Over time it grew into an important Buddhist learning site; behind the hilltop is a temple devoted to Manjusri of Saraswati - the goddess of learning. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepel is also in a monestary near the site. And it's not all Buddhist either. There are many Hindu statues and monument there and worshippers share the turf. Sure there's a considerable walk up the hill, but what's a pilgrimage to an anciet temple without a little discomfort?