Inspirations from a world away

Early mornings and sunrises are by far my favourite moments of being here. I rise to the calm of waking birds and bugs all chiming in on this sunrise orchestra, as the source of all our energy breaks the horizon and fills the landscape with light and humid warmth.

The Yogi's here (Russ and Sven) are often already engulfed in deep long stretches, and surely zenned right out on the sweet, moist morning breeze. These brilliantly lit, sparkling mornings are also my preferred captures of time in photographic moments.

Dewey, shining rainbow like flowers abound all around us; Literally everywhere. Not to mention the hues of green as the shadows recede.

But enough about mornings, teeeheee, Let's talk about what we've been up to. Yesterday was a nice relaxed morning, as are most mornings at our Paradise Palace. We recently decided as a whole to start creating our own meals in the mornings, as our cook Kadek often took a rather "Island time" like attitude in making food. We decided we no longer felt compelled to wait until 2 pm to eat. So Isaac and Kaery (the lovely elven kin that they are) took nourishment duties that morning with unbounded zeal. We were gratefully presented with an abundant pile of pancakes filled with bananas, currents, and fresh young coconut. Topped with a delectable fruit salad, of papaya, coconut, papaya, and lavished with coconut cream.


mmmmmMMMmmmMMmmmmmmm..... So glad we smuggled Canadian Maple Syrup here with us =-)

Russ and I headed out to the Green School for their 3 pm tour, and were left with our mouths a gape at the beauty and ingenuity of such a marvelous and innovative place of learning. Unfortunately, due to a massive Christmas storm, their iconic bamboo bridge was washed out. However the positive side to this was that we were forced to take the breath-taking back route to the school, which led us up and down a tiny winding road (only fit for motorbikes), through Balinese Jungle and over a amazing ravine.

The school is self was unbelievable. Truly the funnest, most creative, innovative, dazzling, "green" school on the planet! Our tour started off on a bit of a scare, as our tour guide Tom began proudly stately how strong bamboo was, the rail of the structure we were standing on gave way and a few people toppled over the edge about four feet to the ground.
Yikes! Luckily no one was badly injured, asides from a scrape or two, and probably bruising later. With sincerest apologies and a thorough examination of all the survivors we began the tour.

Due to the incident that began our tour, Tom first brought us to Green School's Healing Circle. When they began construction, three years ago, they brought in a douser from Australia to find waterways and an appropriate place to dig for a well. Naturally, he found an ideal spot for a well, but the locals were not as easily convinced and protested the well being put in there. So they found another spot, as well as an energy channel convergence. Which the douser stated was an excellent source of energy for healing, and where a gargantuan Record Keeper Smoky Quartz was placed!

AHHHHHHH!!!!! It took quite the restraint not to leap out and hug it in front of everyone on the tour! We walked by the school's aviary, where they were breeding Balinese Starlings (Highly endangered). Its thought that less than twenty of these beautiful white birds are left in the wild. Due mostly to farmers killing them because they eat rice crops, and now that they're endangered, their capture and sale on the black market to bird collectors. The pairs mate for life, and it is estimated that a breeding pair sells for $3000 USD on the black market in Jakarta, and that price doubles every time it you go slightly further East.

As we journeyed on through the jungle maze that is Green School, we witnessed that every classroom was open to the humid tangle of forest air all around us and had its own garden! Literally everything was made of bamboo, from the classroom structure, to the kids' desks! There is garden bounty everywhere! From naturally occurring cocoa, banana, and papaya trees, to intentional corn, tomato, and eggplants.

The school is a fantastical maze of education facilities and tropical Jungle. There is so much more to tell....but Sven has brought out a divine looking breakfast of organic fruit granola, made at Bali Buddha, tropical fruit salad, and a spirulina shake. YUMMMMM!!! I'll upload the Green School tour videos we took a little later on.

So much love folks! And thank you so much for taking the time to read!

A Land of Magick and Beauty

Our voyage to Bali was blessed and speedier than we had anticipated. Instead of a 12 hour layover in Taipei we traded up for a two hour wait (though unfortunately forfeiting our vegetarian meals; a small price to pay for a sooner landing in Paradise). Damn I love China Airlines with their cheap flights and awesome veggie meals :)

Our welcome to Paradise was superb! We were met by Sven's friend Budi (Boo-dee), his wife and his brother who whisked us off from Denpasar Airport to the breathtaking mountain, country side of Ubud. Staring out the window with a wicked grin on my face, my eyes were met with every possible art-form. From the beauty Gaia herself created, to wood carvings, spectacular ornately carved doors, sculptures, paintings, jewellery, and everything in between! The scenery of the city melted away into houses and family compounds on what I, at the time, had thought were small back roads. And later found out were just regular roads (they're all really tiny roads).
As we crept closer to Ubud, the scenery finally converged into massive of amounts of green, beautiful ornate entrances to houses, temples, and what seems like infinite rice paddies in every direction, trimmed with jungle.

Our first week here has been amazing! Ripping around on a motorcycle! Which was only $120 bucks for the month! So stoked on that =) Meeting so many amazing people, and seeing this unreal beauty everywhere, that is so integrated into the culture itself. So far we've seen the Bali Bird Park (where I totally ran around picking up feathers of the ground everywhere! And sneaking my hand into habitats grabbing some good ones that caught my eye!) and reptile Park, coming face to face with the dreaded Komodo Dragon (o-my-good-goddesss we saw a DRAGON!!!!! =D!!!)
Met Alex Grey at an amazing party a couple houses down from ours, taken a silver smithing course and made a wicked lotus star ruby ring! Yesterday we went to Lake Batur, a crater lake under neath Mt. batur (a Volcano!!! =) However it was like 2 bucks just to ride around in the area and the pollution and smog was so thick we could barely see the mountain itself. So we opted out waiting for a day of heavy rain to go up again in hopes of a clearer sky and epic photos.
However on the way down back to Ubud we stumbled upon on a agricultural property set up for tourist to see how Cocoa, Coffee, Vanilla, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and many other spices are grown! We had an amazing time there and sat under a little roof on the terraced hillside trying all there different coffees and teas. Including the incredibly rare Luwuk Coffee; which are coffee berries that are eaten by a civet (super amazing mongoose or weasel like creature that picks and eat the best coffee berries) and passes them through its system. So people wander through the forest picking up civet poop and then roast the coffee beans. It had an interesting earthy flavour ( i wonder why..... =-S) and tasted a lot less acidic than regular coffee.

Isaac and Kaery flew in last night and have joined the crew at our brilliant Palace! And i think today we'll head of to the beach and a long awaited swim in the ocean!

Hope everyone is doing brilliantly where ever you are! So much love friends! And Thanks for reading! <3

Zoom zoom ZOOOOOOOMMMM

And so they days carry on getting longer again, and the mere thought of humid summer breezes, beach days, and fluttering dresses is almost too much for me to bear. A new decade has arrived and with it a great deal of reflection on my past in this last month.

A great overpowering surge of love for all the beautiful souls and kindred spirits I've met in this last year, as well as all the lessons and growth I have attained.

We're into month three living on this amazing Gypsy Pirate Ship! Six residents, 2 full time orphans, a part time one, and a french dog. The universe has definitely been good to me!

I'm in love..... as I usually am, though more blissed out than usual, and feeling fantastic about this coming year. I was working two jobs but am now down to one (the Naam on 4th Ave) and, of course, and absolutely stoked on it. Finally learning how to board and have already had some incredible days on the hills in ridiculous amounts of snow! I'm really going to try and make a commitment to updating this blog everyday! So here it goes!..... :)

In the works this spring; Herbalism classes with the EYA (Environmental Youth Alliance), get my PADI, tree planting? WOOFing for sure! Definitely major gardening on the Pirate Ship, Hot tub building, MORE feathers...... [Oh yeah! I started a feather jewellery compnay with my room mate Cheese Pie! We're calling it Dub.Monsta.love/feathers] MORE GARDENING! Food not bombs..... continuing my new found love for dumpster diving! perhaPs delving back into modeling and/or acting for awhile (might as well try it out for a bit...) and last but not least.... LOVE LOVE LOVE

What exactly is it that I want?

I've found my new family and am on the search for a new home with them. Have a job I hate that pays well while I look for a job that I like that will hopefully pay well.... and I'm starting to think about what exactly it is that I want from myself in this next year, that is approaching pretty darn quickly.
I know that I want to attend both Shambhala and Burning Man next year, but what about afterwards? I know I want to see my Momo, but when? I know I don't want to spend another winter in Vancouver, but then where? So here we go, I'm going to set some serious deadlines for myself here...

This winter is for getting my ass into some serious pavement burning gears. By January I want at least one job I absolutely adore.
Spring 2010; Visit momo on the east coast, have my shambhala & burning man tickets paid for and ready to go, have my driver's license by june
Summer 2010; have a minimum of $3000 banked for my summer and a plane ticket to somewhere not in north America for after the Burn.

that's all I have as of yet...but there are many thoughts of attending school bouncing around in my head for shortly after that. But for right now I think that's more than enought to think about.

Last night I hung out with Stephan and some of the Selkirk crew as everyone said their goodbyes and headed out for San fran and Treasure Island. Want to send out much love to Jenn, Sonya, Tom, Noel, and Stephan. Safe driving and many blissed filled moments on the road!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE. Also I wnated to share some of these amaizng ridiculously off the hook youtube videos we wasted hours luaghing and being amazed at!!!

Craziest flips ever (seriously!)


2008 drummers; Opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics


And the SHIVA Dance!!! Also Beijing Opening Ceremonies



Many blessings and blissede filled moments out there to everyone who wants them!!

Love Love love love love

your yoshi

BE/EXPRESS/LOVE

Found a job that I'm not super stoked on but will do while I find the perfect one. The world is turning and so is my life... Found the house mates!!!! And am so ecstatic to be moving in with a family that reflects the beauty, joy and love I reflect into the universe. So many family projects!!!
Just wanna say Thank YOU to Jenn, Russ, Conrad, and Steff for being so AMAZING! And full of love and creativity, I am so incredibly excited to begin our family together.

applied with Lululemon today, hope they like me!!! Such a dream job!!!!

Sending out some special extra love vibes to my MOMO, BOUBOU (I MISS YOU BOUBOU!!!), my new family, my always family, Matt, and my Dad!! I miss you guys fromt he bottom of my heart and need to send some extra love your way. SO FEEL IT!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

Here's some pics from my trip to the Island in September....a little late I know...sorry :P

I'll never say good bye Fish

Having missed the first memorial, as I was engulfed by the energy and magic that is Shambhala. I was obligated to make my Aunt Angela's second memorial right here in Vancouver.

Angela was, and always will be, the big sister I never had. Closer in age to myself than my mother she related to what was going on in my life. Early on in high school, when I was around the age of 14 years old I acquired some rather nasty drug habits. Having just mutually agreeing that I shouldn't live at my mother's house with her, I was now homeless. Mom moved to California that year, and I stayed in Richmond ready to deal the cards I'd been dealt.
Angela took me in without questions, had she asked and had the answers, perhaps she wouldn't have taken me in with the knowledge of how dangerous a user can possible be.
Angela has accomplished so much in her life, being given the gift of a little daughter; Heather at such a tender age has made her strive so hard for success.
Angela was so breathtakingly beautiful when I saw her last. Around Heather's graduation we took pictures outside and the woman just sparkled and glowed.
She showed me that Sunday mass isn't just a place of worship, but a place you can start to be honest with yourself and the only person watching. That there were people in the world I've yet to meet who care so deeply. And that love really is everywhere.

On July 19, 2009 in William's Lake BC, Angela was killed on impact in a head on collision. But of course she went out still enjoying life with her feet up on the dash and hand probably out the window, sialing in the wind.

I was in Yellowknife and nearly 3000 km away. She left behind a 13 year old daughter, who I will forever and always treasure as my own little sister no matter what happens. And I hope she knows that she come to me anytime, or let me know and i will go to her. I will never judge her or expect anything of her, just love her and expect that she loves herself and try her hardest.

I was overwhelmed by guilt for not being at that first memorial in William's Lake. But I had peace with Angela, not even a few weeks before had I decided one morning to call everyone in my phone book and thank them for their presence in my life. I let everyone know how much I loved and appreciated them. When Angela picked up the phone, despite being in the middle of something, we ended up talking away for a near hour. I had thanked her deeply for every moment and every second she had been in my life. I was so greatful for all the times and kind words she had shared with me.

I will never say good bye Fish.

.

Back on track, now lets make it a trail.

After a relaxed couple of days and some wonderful downtime I'm feeling rather on top of things. The long list of loose ends that need tying is getting shorter and fall is not looking as ominous as previously thought. Plans at the moment are still up in the air as far as traveling goes. I find myself at the most wondrous crossroad, with so many enchanting options and no money to pursue them.
You have to love the money woes when traveling. You never have any :P
So I'm off to get some work done in Vancouver for a bit, nothing to exciting. Just for a paycheck or two. Then next weekend I'll be camping on the island with Sylvia!! I've also found great interest in wwoofing, which I am most definitely going to look into. Finally having a working laptop is fantastic!! HURRAH. So expect some pictures next post and maybe some more news on where I'm off to for Decemeber!! :) We'll see how the next couple of weeks go but the two places I'm most keen to go are rather exciting. Namaste.