Japan,Tokyo October

Firstly, my apologies for the late blog update..................

Japan October 2009

For a land that lived in self imposed isolation until 150 years ago, Japan has not
hesitated in making up for lost time since the world came calling. Anyone who´s eaten sushi or used a mp3 player feels they know something about this slinky archipelago of some 6800 volcanic islands and yet, from the moment of arrival in this oddity familiar, quintessentially oriental land its almost as if you have touched down on another planet:)..

First stop, Tokyo..

Pender Island...........

So what makes a seemingly sensible person become a farm hand, love of animals, smell of fresh air, early starts or late finishes, getting mucky, fixing things, physical exercise ? I asked myself the same question on the second day of my stint as a WWoofer..

What is wwoofing? World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms) (WWOOF) is a loose network of national organizations which facilitate the placement of volunteers on organic farms. How does it work?

WWOOF’s stated goals are to provide volunteers with first-hand experience with organic and ecologically sound growing methods, to help the organic movement, and to let volunteers experience life in a rural setting or a different country.

WWOOF volunteers ('WWOOFers') generally do not receive any financial payment. The host provides food, accommodation and opportunities to learn, in exchange for assistance with farming or gardening activities.

The role of the WWOOF organizations is to provide contact between interested volunteers and hosts. They respond to complaints if there are any problems. If an issue should arise between a host and WWOOFer then the local organizer will be able to mediate to find a resolution. Hosts are expected to offer a friendly and welcoming environment and experience in organic growing methods. The WWOOFers should be willing to learn by pitching in with the daily chores. So enough copy and paste:) .. So I am on Pender Island, Southern Gulf Island, British Columbia. I am staying on Iona farm with Rob & Ellen. They are a really open minded couple who have lived and worked on the island for 25 years. They are super active within the local community and to my surprise are Anglican priests........Rest assured, Rob & Ellen are not the Bible bashing types that would scare me or you, no they are really down to earth and respectful people. You can smoke, drink and do pretty much anything on the farm:).. They have chickens, goats, sheep and are super active people.. They have a nice sail boat and a small engined boat for getting between the various islands too. Whilst on the boats you can enjoy the natural beauty of the island's coastline and the various marine creatures, including: seals, killer whales, seagulls, dolphins, and salmon.

So whats it like to be a Wwoofer? Well, my experience so far is pretty good, I have learned how to make goats' cheese, correct lumberjack techniques with one of the island´s lumberjacks(Fred), driving a large pick up, fencing, milking goats, but putting these skill aside, I can write I have found another website/org that really works for me and I guess for countless others:)..

Canned Sardines Can Swim...

RV TRIP ACROSS CANADA................


I spent two weeks in a Ford Econoline Recreational Vehicle..

Here is a basic description:

SLEEPS 6
FRIDGE/FREEZER, 4 PLATE STOVE/OVEN
& FAN , MICROWAVE,
STEREO SPEAKERS THROUGHOUT
LOADS OF CUPBOARDS/STORAGE
BATHROOM SHOWER/TUB/SINK/TOILET
A/C, TV ANTENNA/ AWNING...

I met 6 people I had never met before in my life, and shared 15 days of life with them.

Group dynamics: 5 males and 2 females.. Ages from 27- 37. (Flynne, Andres, Roy, Anf, Lee, Dave and Me)

Saturday, we have packed the RV with our backpacks, tents and groceries for the asphalt. The rag tag RV crew is ready to embark on a journey that will mold friendships for life.

8am, Toronto, August 1st. Our first destination Sault St Marie (Ontario) estimated travel time 9 hours. 10 minutes into the journey, we have our first and only accident. We pulverize a pick-up´s wing mirror, $50 was enough to hush the seething tongue of the disgruntled driver. Faces inside the RV swap glances, "Is this the first of many accidents? Is Dave a manic motor-home driver? Dave douses our fears by assuring us, that he is a nice guy and has just experienced an agonizing week of work. I decide to actually wear my seat-belt, I belt up the tired GM labeled belt, it looks like an aircraft seat belt, I hope the belt´s previous vehicle didn´t hit a wing mirror and go down.


To be continued.......................

21 Days in a Cobalt

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I stared at myself with a look of melancholy. I reviewed the past five years in my head; living and traveling and working on two continents, the people I had met, the friendships I had made, the things I had learned, the adventures I had. I let my head fall, as if I could no longer hold it up, and shook it from side to side a few times. I wondered if I would ever find my wanderlust again. HAHA only joking....

I started in Gatineau (QC)and finished this road trip in Hamiliton(Ontario)...

Car camping, couchsurfing, staying at noisy motels, watching whales, fishing, bears crossing roads, mosquito boxing, seeing the highest tides in the World, dancing in a wilderness disco, countless memories and also seeing groundhogs hiding under garbage bins....

Odanak................

I went to Odanak in Quebec province for their annual "Pow Wow"

Odanak is an native aboriginal reserve in the centre of Quebec, Canada. It is located near the mouth of the Saint-Francois River, neighbouring Saint-Francois du Lac and Pierreville, The word "Odanak" is the Abenaki word for "in the village"

The annual "Pow Wow" is a celebration of all people in the World, regardless of race,colour or creed.

People from all over Canada and the U.S came for the " Pow Wow", it was a great day and the weather did not fail us:D

What is a Pow Wow?

The word powwow in itself is from an Indian word that has been Anglicized. It is derived from the Algonquian term "pau-wau" or "pauau", which referred to a gathering of medicine men and/or spiritual leaders. "Pau-wauing" referred to a religious ceremony, usually one of curing. In the 1800's the European explorers observing these religious gatherings and dances mispronounced the word as powwow. Non-Indians began to use the term to describe nearly any gathering of Native people they experienced and eventually, Indians themselves began using the term. As more Indians learned English, the more "pow wow" became the accepted standard for both Indian and non-Indian people.

A pow-wow session begins with the Grand Entry and, in most cases, a prayer. The Eagle Staff leads the Grand Entry, followed by flags, then the dancers, while one of the host drums sings an opening song.

Ottawa July

On Tuesday I took the cross country bus from Toronto to Ottawa. I sat right at the front of the bus to really appreciate the scenery on the way.. Nestled next to me was a Ontarian lady who fed me her delicious cranberry cookies, whilst journeying to Ottawa she informed me of the importance of Canada day for most Canadians. Canadians regard Canada day as a bringing together of different cultures and ethnicity in the appreciation of being Canadian. I was really looking forward to experiencing the whole day of celebration. The majority of people on the bus were Canadians and the mood on the bus was of joy and anticipation for Canada day, people were traveling from far a field to Ottawa for the next day´s festivities..

Traveling through Ontario one could imagine the past and present labors of the people who populate the Ontarian landscape, old abandoned rest-stops, rusting signs, and Tim Horton signs offering rest bite from the journey at hand.

After five hours on the bus we arrived inOttawa. The city was clad with a sea of red and white and maple leafs hanging from buildings waiting for the next day..

Canada day............

Wow, what an atmosphere, people flooding the streets with painted faces and endless smiles, music littering the airwaves with umpf and splendor. This is what a national day is all about.. The streets were jammed with swarms of people heading to Ottawa´s center and their mood was ripe for one massive good humored party..

I actually went to a couple of museums during the day and checked out the history of Canada.. I would recommend the Musee Canadien des Civilisations, its an interesting museum which details the history of Canada and it´s people, through video, art and other exhibits...

After wandering around Ottawa for a while I headed to Gatineau and enjoyed a portion of delicious Poutine. (fries,gravy and cheese curds) . After the Poutine I wandered back along the Ottawa river to Dunhamel, accompanied by low flying seagulls and F16 jets:D

Toronto Surface Scratch

Toronto 29 June 09

So the flight was like being in a sardine can without the tomato sauce, not enough room even to wiggle my fins.. But like all good things, bad things do come to an end and so I landed in Toronto, Ontario.. First impression, well the grey buildings were grey, but the people seemed really easy going. Having no loose change, the driver let me ride for free and then the subway driver was the same, but i didn´t speak to the driver;-)... After arriving in Downtown, Toronto I met my CS host, Mike.

Nestled in my room I was starting to feel the effects of being awake for 16 hours and so I decided to take up Mike´s offer of a mini tour around Downtown. It felt like being home in Manchester, UK. Its my kind of city, a bit scruffy, relaxed, and unhurried. The different streets were a mix of ethnicities and the colourful mix of shop fronts offering rings to burritos made the mini wander a feast for the eyes.. We actually arrived at our port of call, a comedy club,(forget the name) but it boasted the talents of Mike Myers and others who had all stood under the spotlight there. It was an improv night, and the local comedy talent was good, not too cliche and riddled with funny inuendo.... 11pm it was way past my bedtime and so we headed back to Mike´s for some hard earned shut eye...............Good night Toronto...