March 2011 Archives

Spring Has Sprung - and it's about time! I've been chasing Spring since January.

I've been sort of waiting for something exciting to happen here so I would have something to write about, but I really just need to accept the fact that if I am not in China, nothing much exciting happens. No punching guys on the street or near death by motorbike. No night markets or learning a crazy foreign language. Now all I've got are the memories of it. I think people here are already sick of hearing the stories.

Instead, excitement - much like beauty, lies in the perception of the beholder. Spring is here, yeah! Exciting!

March madness, cherry blossoms, storms, and planning my vegetable garden.

Walks at night with just a sweatshirt and jeans on, longer days, and sunsets at 7pm!

Spring is spectacular in Victoria. The smells of cherry blossoms and cool sea air while I am out for a walk; the sounds of robins and warblers as the sun rises through my bedroom window; the tastes of home - beer, wine, and good conversation. These are things I seem to forget when I am away. They are also senses I am unable to remember no matter how hard I try. For instance, if I close my eyes I can always imagine the sight of the sun setting on the ocean across the gorge, but I can't seem to remember the smells or the sounds of this place when I want. Which reminds me of a new invention: a smell machine. Something that captures scents and then puts them on your computer or into a sent machine hard drive of sorts. While you are going through old photos or listening to an old favorite song, the sent of that time or place comes out of the computer in order to really bring you back. Yes? No?

It's not fair to say that nothing exciting has happened. A few weeks ago I went home to the Interior to go snowboarding and to see family. That was exciting. Here are Bonnie, Kelly and I at our pizza and beer night.

On the way to Vernon I had a funny and exciting experience, which I will tell you in the form of a story.

 

I get on the ferry, lululemon bag slung over my left shoulder, mac book held under my right arm. I am tired and starving and sit down close to a window at the front deck to eat my cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese in 3.5 seconds, taking time only to think about how dry it is and how I am happy to have brought my own bottle of water.

By now the ferry has pushed off. People from the car decks are slowly coming up and filling the seats around me. I take only a moment to look out the window and revel in the beauty that is the West Coast, then I go to stand in line to buy my bus ticket. The bus driver is "Canadian-friendly". This is a nice way of saying annoyingly so. He chit-chats-bordering-on-flirting with every passenger. C'mon, we just wanna buy a bus ticket! When it comes to my turn, I pay the 18$ with visa. I pay everything with visa these days. Money will come. I input my PIN, and the bus driver says, "What, did you break my machine!?" I look up and smile politely, as the people behind me laugh. That was funny? God it's no wonder the world thinks Canadians are the least funny people. I am embarrassed for everyone around me.

I put my card, ticket and receipt away then follow the signs to "Work Stations" where I will be able to plug in my computer and work on my book. Unfortunately, when I finally find it I am disappointed to find that each one is full - of other macs plugged in with other people writing their books no doubt. I sigh and look around for another outlet and when none can be found I resign to sitting in the galley, writing until my battery dies.

I see a man - dark and handsome, working on his macbook in a row of empty chairs.  It's always nice sitting beside nice looking people. I sit in the same row four seats over, open up my macbook and start typing. I try to appear busy but struggle to concentrate. In part due to the handsome man to my left and equal parts due to the 20-something white male, doing a combination step aerobics and a rain dance on the outer deck for us all to see. He does a shocking 360 turn with arms raised, I start to laugh and look over at Mr. Handsome, hoping he had seen the incredible move too. He is already smiling - flashing perfect Canadian teeth. We laugh and joke together about the Rain Dancer for some time, alternating back and forth between seeming busy and trying to think of something witty to say.

My battery dies. It has a life of less than an hour these days. So the geek in me grabs my book, in order to look cool, and begins to read. It is a novel about a poor man in Beijing who poses as a freelance journalist to eat at banquets for free. I am immersed. I feel light. I've not thought about Sebastian for almost an hour. A new record.

Then I wake from my Beijing book dream state as Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome (with perfect teeth) gets up and leaves. I dare not move my head. When I know he is gone I look at the seat he once sat on. No business card or phone number left there "by accident". Hey, it was worth a shot. I suddenly feel depressed. I think I need a hot chocolate.  Packing up my things I look out to the outer deck once more, trying to catch a glimpse of the Rain Dancer for one last smile. Instead, I am surprised to see Mr. Handsome standing at the railing, looking out to sea. I sit back. I look him over. I weigh my options heavily.

Heart broken. Hot chocolate. Depressed. Cute guy. Not ready for a relationship. Nice shoes. Feel guilty. Nice smile. Sick stomach. Sugar. Chocolate. Mr. Handsome. What to do?

I make my move, get up, and head to the cafeteria for the hot chocolate which will only further my depression, make me feel guilty and likely give me a stomach ache, then at the last minute I bee-line it out the door and to the outer deck. Am I actually going to do this!? Mr. Handsome With Nice Shoes has his back to me and is listening to music. I could easily turn around now and reconsider, but know that I won't. I put my bag down behind him and take a deep breath,

"You know, I don't think you're allowed to be out here unless you're dancing," I say with a smirk. He smiles back and takes off his ear phones.

"Oh I was going to start, I just needed to get some moves together in my head." This guy is cute and witty! "Where are you headed?"

"Vernon, actually. I'm going snowboarding with my sister for the weekend"

"Really? I am going to Vernon too. Well I have a meeting in Vancouver this afternoon then I'll drive to Vernon from that."

"Oh yeah? Well I am there until Wednesday. Maybe we could get a coffee there or something." That was bold, McGrew.

"So what do you do?" He leans against the railing, looking properly comfortable with the Active Pass behind him. I wish I could have taken a picture. He is like Eric in the Little Mermaid. Can I be Ariel? Can I? Please?

"Haha, nothing really, I am trying to become a writer. Working on some books and articles and what not. I was going to guess you were in real estate. What is your meeting about today?"

"Why Real Estate? It's IT related, actually"

"Because you have nice teeth. Aaaaand a trustworthy face." Another bold attempt at flattery.  Apparently I am not as out of practice as expected.

"I guess those are good things to have, thanks. Not really real estate. Do you know the new indoor soccer arena in Vernon? My company built that. We do pre-fab commercial stuff. My two business partners are in Vernon. That's why I am going there. I had a Geothermal business with a partner in Vernon about 3 years ago. That's why I moved from out East."

"Geothermal? In Vernon? What is your business partner's name?"

"Robin McKim"

"Really?"

"You know him?"

I laughing uncomfortably "Well I know a Robin who had a Geothermal company in Vernon. In fact, he played volleyball with my ex-boyfriend, Steven."

"No! Steve-o? You're Linda!?"

"I am."

"Wow this is too weird. Steve is like a brother to me. I lived with him, actually, in Vernon for almost two years."

"Wait, did you live at that house on the East hill where you have to walk around the back to get in?"

"Yeah. With Matty, Steve-o and Robin."

"I think I've met you before!"

"I think you have."

"This is so strange."I start to feel uncomfortable intimacy with this stranger. I want to leave but he continues.

"Where do you live now?"

"It's complicated cause I've just returned from being abroad. In fact, when Steven and I broke up I left basically right away to China. I've only come back now. It's been almost 4 years. But I am in Vic now. On Cook and Bay."

"Really? I live at Quadra and Kings."

"That is less than a kilometer away. This is way too strange."

I am drawn and pushed away at the same time. We keep chatting for a bit and find out we are both vegetarian and both go to the Y and all sorts of other strange yet magical things. The ferry reaches it's destination and I give him my email address. He writes to me that day and we meet in Vernon a few days later for drinks. We've met a few times since in Victoria. A strange, exciting and somewhat painful situation.

More stories to come from that no doubt.

Once in Vernon, Bonnie and I went snowboarding for two days of perfect conditions, through our favorite runs in the world. A friend of mine (Jenn) came for a day of boarding from Trail, and a friend of Bonnie's (Gill) came that same day from Salmon Arm. Good times were had by all.

By the way, snowboarding is like riding a bike. Taking jumps in the terrain park on the other hand, is not.

 

While "home" I headed up to Salmon Arm for a day for some trouble. There, I went for an amazing run through the old 'hood, and had a very special dinner with a very special young lady and her parents. Below, Molly and I being creative on the computer.

 

Since returning back to Victoria time has begun to fly by. This must be a good sign, as I was certain my world had come to a complete halt and I was living in hell only one month ago. Like they say, let time do it's magical healing. Now, if only time could magically find me a job. A book deal would be nice.