Geoff n Terry

More of Autumn

2009-11-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Over the last week we've had lots of rain, such is life in Vancouver at this time of year. With that being said, there has been ample opportunity to get out and enjoy the fall colours and explore some of the statues that are being put up around town for Vancouver's Biennale. T

The End of October

2009-10-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

two months have passed since the last update...what's been happening?

I've been doing more contract work at UBC with Graduate students in a "training of trainers" program, we went greeen and said goodbye to our car "Sarah" (and have since joined the cooperative car network), and Geoff and I have been out enjoying the colours and the crisp, cool air of autumn. To top it off, I'm going to Edmonton for Halloween to take my nephew out...should be lots of fun! T

View out of my classroom at UBC

The lovely couple in Stanley Park

English Bay autumn colours

More autumn colours on English Bay

Saying goodbye to Sarah

Another Summer Ending

2009-08-28T07:21:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

it's late August and although it's still summer, the evenings are getting cooler and the ocean will only be swimmable for another week or two. With that being said, we had an amazing run with July temperatures into the mid 30s and the ocean hitting a balmy 25 degrees, something completely different for the average Vancouverite. Our garden went crazy!!!

At the beginning of August, we had a plethora of events which took over the westend of Vancouver (where we live). The Festival of Lights (fireworks), the Pride parade, and the World Police and Firefighters Games. During the first weekend of the month there were close to 800 000 people taking part in one, two, or all three of the events.

I got back to Edmonton to visit my family and to have a few days to play with my (almost) 2 year old nephew Ethan. Geoff had a break from his Rigpa schedule so we were able to do a lot of swimming, barbecuing, and socializing. Our friend Karen (with whom I worked in Japan 10 years ago) came to visit as well. T and G

Geoff getting nude at Acadia Beach, Vancouver

Uncle Terry and Ethan

Sunset on our swimming beach

Enjoying an evening swim

Volunteering at the Pride festival

Canada D(eh)!

2009-07-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I decided to celebrate Canada Day by having a multicultural day out...we began with breakfast at a Canadian diner run by a Greek-Canadian family, followed by coffee at an Italian deli across the street. We then went down to the town of Steveston which is historically significant as a hub for Japanese-Canadian fishermen. We then wandered around VanDusen botanical gardens which has plant species from around the world, and ended our day with dinner at Saravanaa Bhavan, a South-Indian restaurant. T and G

A Small Taste of South America

2009-07-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I was between contracts and had too much time on my hands...so what was I to do? Cash in some airmiles and head to Argentina of course. I took a short two week jaunt thinking I would stay in and around Buenos Aires. I ended up visiting Uruguay, Argentinean wine country, and Santiago de Chile. I loved everything I saw, was inspired by the bus trip through the Andes, and really have to thank my hosts Pedro in BsAs and Felipe in Santiago for all of their hospitality...I will be back! T

Crossing the Andes

Colonia, Uruguay

Felipe in Santiago

Terry, Pedro, and Lorena

Colonia, Uruguay

Canopy of trees in BsAs

La Boca

Cemetary in BsAs

Nephew Ethan- April to June 2009

2009-06-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, although I'm not the kind of person who loves to see a thousand and one kid pictures, I'm posting some of my nephew Ethan...because he is the cutest kid ever! Terry

Finishing his holiday in Vancouver

With mom

Sitting down for lunch in Chinatown

Exploring Granville Island

With Uncle Terry

Just like his mother

Just like his mother and father

March...Already?

2009-02-25T21:04:00.001-08:00

It's almost March...hard to believe! With Vancouver's crazy winter who knows how the month will begin: like a lamb or like a lion?

After the huge snowfall(s) and cold temperatures at Christmas, Vancouver was fogged in for almost 10 days, followed-up by a month of sunny but cool weather. We didn't really have any rain in the first three weeks of February, and with the sunnier days came early blooms...Well it's nearing the end of the month and the rains have come back to the delight of many a westcoaster.

We managed to take advantage of the drier days of January and February by going snowshoeing at Mt. Seymour (on the north shore of Vancouver), taking in an "illumination festival" in Yaletown (very yuppie section of Vancouver), and just doing our regular walks...T and G

Merry Christmas...

2008-12-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

A View of the Granville Island Ferry dock

A view down our street

Sunset Beach

People sledding

On the seawall

Merry Christmas everyone,

We are having a white and quiet Christmas in Vancouver. We hope that the holidays are safe and peace-filled for all of you wherever Christmas finds you this year.

Love Geoff and Terry

A Very Zen Chistmas..

2008-12-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Here are some pics from Terry's afternoon yesterday at the Nitobe Japanese Garden at the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Love
G

Winter Wonderland...

2008-12-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

Westend Winter Wonderland

View from Chinatown

Stanley Park

View from our Apartment

Footpath at Night

Hi all,

It's getting close to Christmas and the last few days have produced cold temperatures (by Vancouver standards) and a bunch of snow. Everything looks very beautiful and people are out enjoying the novelty of it for now.

In other news, Deb (friend from Australia) visited for a week, Geoff was away on his annual retreat at Clear Lake in California, and I will be starting work in January at the University of British Columbia's Centre for Intercultural Communication (as an instructor/facilitator).

We're planning a quiet Christmas at home and catching up with a few friends over the holiday. I even put up some lights this year seeing this is my first Christmas in Canada since 2005.

Wishing everyone a festive, happy, and sane holiday season!!!

Love Terry and Geoff

October (and early November)

2008-11-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Geoff was away for much of October visiting family in Australia (his biannual ritual). He spent most of the trip just hanging out with his parents who despite getting a bit older and slower and a bout of prostate cancer, are doing fine.

He also managed to catch up with all of his sisters and squeeze in some time with David his ex and friends Trevor and Sylvain (thanks boys!).

On the way back home he spent a couple of days in Tokyo walking around, visiting temples and onsens (bathhouses), eating anything that looked remotely vegetarian, and sleeping in his own private capsule.

Meanwhile back in Vancouver I was at first happy to have a break from messiness, to hang out with a new "friend", and to have some time to myself. I haven't been working regularly so I got bored pretty quickly. I spent way too much time at the gym and at the pool and ended up losing 4 kgs in two weeks. Vancouver had a spectacular October this year, so the dry weather and changing leaves were a bonus.

When Geoff returned to Vancouver we only had a few days together before I headed off to Edmonton to help my parents move into their new apartment (after living in the same house for 45 years). It was a good chance for me to support my parents, say goodbye to the house I grew up in, and of course to see my little nephew Ethan.

Love T and G

Manly Ferry

'Sculptures by the Sea' near Bondi Beach

Geoff and two of his sisters Cathie and Angie

Capsule Hotel Tokyo

Obachans and Temples

Asakusa Temple

Shinjuku Station Salarymen

Street Jazz in Shinjuku

Geoff and Emmanuelle back in Vancouver

Ethan Starting his Terrible Twos Early

"I'm not sure what I think about all this moving stuff"

Ethan in Action

Summer Stuff...

2008-08-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all

A few weeks back we had a spur of the moment camping trip to Strathcona Park on the island with the added enjoyment of the loan of a friend's soft-top jeep (thanks Chris!)

We also had a visit from Sharon, Terry's sister and have been spending a lot of time down by the water and at the pool in the evenings.

This weekend we are off to Victoria to visit Emmanuelle who was visiting here during Pride...supposed to remain sunny and get up to about 30 degrees! The sun is starting to set noticeably earlier so we are trying to squeeze the most we can out of summer... More photos from the weekend to follow

Love
Geoff

Pride Vancouver 2008

2008-08-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hi all...

Gay Pride in Vancouver 2008....a weekend of the unexpected...ups and downs...moments of reflection...moments of fun...moments of silliness....moments of sadness and remembering what it is all about and where and why the journey was started and how long the journey ahead remains...

Here are a few photos of the week that was...

Pride 'Picnic In the Park'

Terry and Sahran (from Sri Lanka - one of the Pride marshalls for 2008)

Gilbert Baker creator of the Pride flag in 1978

Our friend Emmanuelle (on the left!) making new friends on Davie Street..."why can't I ever get a date when I am with you guys?"

Friday Street Party on Davie Street

Out and Proud

Love

July Long Weekend

2008-07-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

it was perhaps the most beautiful July long weekend we've ever had. Geoff had 4 days off (and of course I'm off everyday), so we explored and enjoyed the sun, sun, sun!!!

We spent most of the weekend in and around water: English Bay (westend), Third Beach (in Stanley Park), Wreck Beach (near UBC), Second Beach Pool (in Stanley Park), Petgill lake (800m mark on a mountain hike), Murrin lake (0m mark on that same hike), Beaver Lake (lotus and water lily pond extraordinaire), and Spanish Banks.

We also found a great South Indian restaurant, cycled the seawall, barbecued, tended to our balcony water garden, took in some latin rhythms on False Creek (part of the Jazz Festival), and went to a human rights concert with Cyndi Lauper, Sarah Mclachlan, the B52s, Joan Armatrading, and Nona Hendrix.

We definitely took advantage of the long July days.

T and G

Rest-Stop near Granville Island

Beaver Lake

Site of the Music Festival
Spanish Banks
Petgill Lake
My water garden

Sunday at Spanish Banks

2008-06-23T17:57:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Geoff and I had one of those amazing Vancouver days. The sun was shining, and although the air was a bit cool in the morning, it turned into a beautiful summer day.

We drove out to Spanish Banks which is near the University of British Columbia. During very low tides this area is transformed into sand flats which extend from the shore for almost a kilometre. We spent the afternoon walking on the sand, wading through small trapped pools warmed nicely by the sun, taking pictures of the area, and just enjoying being out in nature.

Hope you enjoy the pics.

T and G

May Already?!

2008-05-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

do you ever get the feeling that the older you get, the faster time passes by. I feel like I shouldn't even be talking about Sri Lanka anymore seeing that I returned 4 months ago...

...So What's been happening over the past couple of months?

-I'm semi-retired (meaning having really figured out the next career move)

-I've been doing some work to incorporate some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives into my former school

-Geoff has been busy with work at the hospital and with his RIGPA meditation group

-Our apartment is having some work done on it (bathroom and kitchen are being fixed after some water damage)

-I've been contacted by an agency out of Boston that I did some work for in Sri Lanka and I may be facilitating some short-term projects in various parts of the world (beginning in August?)

-Our back deck has been redone and our plants have been resettled (and are doing well)

-We're just about to paint the bathroom and the bedroom

-I've written an article for an International Language Travel magazine

-Slowly but surely the weather is getting warmer and we've been having regular barbecues on the front deck

-We're still taking long walks on the seawall, connecting, talking, and enjoying trying to figure out "what's next?"

-We're attempting to become more active in our community (I've joined the Pride Society, Geoff and I are trying fend off a major development that is overtaking a heritage site, etc)

-And so on...

Take care, sorry for such delayed updates

T & G

The joys of water damage

Enjoying the sun in early Spring (end of March)
April flowers in Stanley Park
Sunset on a ferry trip back to Vancouver
Tulips at English Bay
Only 6 weeks until we can enjoy the water again (and the outdoor pools open in 1 week)

On this Day 1998

2008-03-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Geoff and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary today.

The story:

I was teaching in Japan at this time 10 years ago and took a spring break holiday to Sydney. My friend Tony was to have been my tour guide but he ended up having to leave the day after my arrival to fulfill a contract in China. Out of guilt he left me a list of friends to contact, Geoff being listed last! To make a long story short, we met up, discovered we had similar interests (swimming, hiking, Thai food), and couldn't stop chatting about anything and everything. Thus began the story of Geoff and Terry.

The photos attached were taken in March 1998 and March 2008.

Terry

On the Road Again

2008-03-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I have been completely slack with our updates since I got back. We had planned to do a "united again" piece, but that will have to wait.

I've been looking for work opportunities but have been finding the search a bit futile. Not that work is hard to find, I've just been trying to mix and match my experience in Sri Lanka, with my work in the language industry. I've been really pushing myself to focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and to meet with possible interested parties.

As it turned out, the annual conference for Languages Canada was taking place at the beginning of March in Ottawa. A friend of mine who lives in Turkey had plans to go, Geoff was pushing me to do something outside of the box, and even Jim (with whom I worked at the language school) was part of it. In the end I got the word out, Jim and I are collaborating on a framework, and I'm in the midst of writing an article and a funding proposal. It was all meant to be.

The idea is quite simple. We often think about CSR as a big company concept...Starbucks should do ethical purchasing of coffee, Nike shouldn't enlist child labour, oil companies need to lead in environmental practice, and so on.

Small and medium businesses can join in by developing equity programs within their respective organizations, stakeholders can be made aware of and help promote environmental practices, and employees can help develop community outreach programs for the neighbourhoods in which they work. Volunteerism, education, conserving energy and resources, active support at all levels, and the formula for a "socially responsible" and sustainable organization is underway.

The idea is still in the planning stage, but things are building up. After the conference I spent a couple of days more in a very snowy Ottawa with friends and then visited my friend Emmanuelle in an equally snowy Montreal...A good wind down before I "responsibly" take over the world. Terry

The Rideau Canal and Parliament Buildings The snowy suburbs of Ottawa
An old section of Montreal
Emmanuelle after shopping for breakfast (bread, cheese, and good coffee...mmm)

From Colombo to Edmonton Part II

2008-02-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I've attached a few photos below to "prove" how ridiculously cold it was in Edmonton when I visited my family the past week. I'm back in Vancouver now, and the "balmy" 7 degree temperatures make it feel like Spring here. T
(Photos: Ice Sculpture, Enjoying the "Warmth", The Cold Snap Hits, Staying Inside With My Nephew, Lots of Snow, Blue Sky and Snow)

From Colombo to Edmonton

2008-01-29T06:48:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

I'm back in the land of the living. After Geoff posted it only took me a couple of days to kill off the stomach bug, get back into life in Vancouver and start thinking about the "real world" again. The first week back was great, although cool, the sun was shining everyday which allowed for great walks on the seawall, a hike in a mountain park near Vancouver, and lots of reconnection time with Geoff and the city.

I decided to fly to my hometown of Edmonton to visit friends and family. I was warned against the Canadian prairies in January, but I grew up in that area so how bad could it be? The first couple of days were fine, cold but the snow made it feel like Christmas. On the third morning I noticed that the mercury was dropping and not going up during the day...by Monday the temperature was in the -30s with -40 windchills. A few plans that had been made were cancelled and I opted to stay with my sister and new nephew for much of the remainder of my trip.

I'm flying back to Vancouver on Wednesday which will be a balmy 4 degrees. Sorry for those of you who I didn't see this time around. Coming from a 32 degree Colombo to a -38 Edmonton was just too much for my body to take...thank god for central heating!!!

I'll be attaching some pictures and a weatherboard (for the Australias who don't believe it can get so cold) once I get back to Vancouver. Love T

Just Like in the Movies...Not.

2008-01-14T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Terry managed to come down with something before hopping on the plane out of Bangkok and by the time he hit Hong Kong he had high fevers, headaches, abdo cramps and generally feeling like death warmed up...just perfect for jumping on a 12 hour flight.

Never the less he made it to Vancouver somewhat intact though not looking his prettiest...straight home and put to bed.

A bit of a recovery later this evening after much sleeping, out to catch some fresh evening air and a little sushi and home to curl up together on the couch...well at least he is home safe and sound.

Terry also has fairly good weather karma demonstrated below...

After 2 weeks of weather that would inspired ark building we now have the following:

Yes on the coolish side but look at all those little sunshines!
Love
G

Terry Home Tomorrow!!!

2008-01-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

Hi all

As I write Terry is in flight heading east... Bangkok - Hong Kong - Vancouver and is due home tomorrow at 11:00am ...yeah!

Of course the apartment is clean (because I am naturally so neat and tidy anyway) but just in case, the place has had some extra special cleaning in the last few days...thank you to any one who offered their services in this regard (which I politely declined) and to those who suggested that I hire a maid (or major disaster clean up team...which I not so politely declined).

The next few days will probably be a little strange for both of us as we adjust to a shared space and routines again...but it will just be so nice to be back together again.

Love
G

In Cambodia Part II

2008-01-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, my one hour flight to Bangkok has been delayed by 6 hours, so after schmoozing my way into the Business Lounge, I have time to email, surf the net, and post some more pictures of my time in Cambodia. Three of the photos are from the killing fields and the genocide museum in Phnom Penh, and the other two are taken from the boat trip on the river between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap...T

In Cambodia

2008-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Only 4 more days until I'm back in Vancouver. My last couple of weeks in Sri Lanka kept me in bed with a viral flu. I guess my body was telling me it needed some rest. It wasn't until 10 hours before my flight that the doctor gave me the go ahead to fly...talk about cutting it close.

I'm now in Cambodia, one last trip in South East Asia before seeing Geoff again and getting back to my life in Canada. I flew to Phnom Penh, visited the killing fields and the genocide museum, took a 6 hour boat trip to Siem Reap, and stayed for three days and visited the Angkor temple complexes. I'm heading back to Phnom Penh today, and then I fly to Bangkok on Saturday for my final two nights.

See you soon...T

Farewell 2007

2008-01-04T08:01:00.001-08:00

Hi All

Well 2007 is done...it has been a good year all round for Terry and I and come January 14th Terry will be back in Vancouver...yeah!!! I have missed him a lot.

At the moment Terry is in Thailand for a day or two before heading of to Cambodia for a few days and then home.

I have put together a bunch of pictures from here in the westcoast in a short video that covers 2007 including Cath's visit (including some of her photos) and Terry' trip back in the summer and a bunch of other random ones.

Love to all for 2008
G

My Second Christmas in the Tropics

2007-12-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

It's my second Christmas in Sri Lanka and I can honestly say that it feels Christmassy to me this year. There are a lot of lights around Colombo, and the shoppers are out in full force. Some of the stores are even doing "midnight madness" sales. It's hard to believe that buddhism is the predominant religion, but I guess buying transcends all boundaries.

I'm using this holiday season as an opportunity to reflect on the past year, think about where I'm at with it now, and look at what I hope to do in 2008. I can't believe I'm leaving Sri Lanka in 10 days; on one hand it seems like I just arrived and on the other it feels like I've been here for years. I have mixed feelings, but the bottomline is that I'm excited to get back to Geoff.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Love T

Santa Claus (Sri Lankan style)

Christmas lights on the beach

Getting Back on Track & Olympic Déjà Vu

2007-12-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Yep I am well and trully back in town now from my retreat...a bumpy start to the week back at work but settling in fine now.

It seems that the Olympics can bring out the best and the worst in people and places...in 2010 Vancouver will be hosting the winter games and I can't help feeling a certain sense of déjà vu from being in Sydney in the lead up to the summer games for 2000...gross over runs in projected costs, outrageously priced tickets, construction woes, IOC pressure on small family businesses that happened to have the word 'Olympic' in their names etc etc. and now the latest...the unveiling of the 'Olympic Mascots' to very mixed reviews from the local daily paper:

' "Why not just use a 7-foot Wookie and a couple Ewoks while we're at it?" wrote one reader, alluding to characters from the Star Wars movies. Many readers suggested Miga was similar to Pokemon's Hello Kitty'.

Have a look and make up your own mind on these:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/mascot/en/index.php

Meanwhile the local left-of-centre free newspaper has been having some fun of their own with the mascots including cartoonist Rod Filbrandt's "Rejected 2010 Mascot" series with some local jokes thrown in but I think you will get the general idea:

Love to all

Heading Home from Retreat...

2007-12-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Well I sort of ran out of time before heading of to my annual meditation retreat in the USA and in the process I forgot to mention to a lot of people that I was going....ooooops and sorry all at the same time.....

Well here I am sitting in the Westfield shopping mall in San Franscisco using the free internet terminal and checking in on my emails....

All a bit surreal and somewhat jarring at present or maybe it is the uber strong 'Peets' coffee that I have just ingested that is providing a bit of an edge to things???

Well what to say...a great retreat and I am heading home with lots of internal homework as per usual...but all good. Nice to catch up with some old faces and make a few new friends as well at the retreat and always a few suprises along the way.

In reviewing my email inbox, it has been suprisingly boring in scanning through it...the world stands still in some ways.

Anyway off for a wander around town for now and flying back into Vancouver tomorrow evening.

Love to all

G

Beaches and Bombs

2007-12-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

The last week of November 2007 will go down in my books as one of my high times and one of my low times in Sri Lanka.

My friend Francis visited for a few days. We went once again to the hill country, and as an added bonus, we got a car and driver and had some time on the coast. It is beach season again...hooray! I know that many of you think that it's always beach season in Sri Lanka, but with 2 monsoon periods, inter-monsoonal rough seas, etc, the window of opportunity is not as wide as one would imagine. From November to March the seas are amazingly blue, the weather is great, and the water is a constant 28 degrees. We made it to Unawatuna, a nice little half-moon bay near the fort city of Galle.

Shortly after Francis left Sri Lanka there was a "Hero's Day" speech made by the leader of the LTTE. As a result, two suicide bombs went off in Colombo, the first killing one person and injuring two others, the second killing 17. The scary part about this was that up to this point, most bombs have targetted the military, and the government. The bomb that killed 17 was targetting civilians in a market area in a central suburb of Colombo. The past week has been filled with checkpoints, random police searches of neighbourhoods, and the arrest of 1000 Tamils (without charge) who were subsequently released.

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have the facts of (Sri Lankan) life" T

A walk on the tracks in the hill country

Unawatuna Beach

Unawatuna Beach take 2

The Cold & the Beautiful

2007-11-21T23:02:00.001-08:00

Hi All

Just a few pics from this morning's coffee walk before work...sunny and 1 degree celcius!

Love

G

English Bay

English Bay Seawall

[The temperature rating is just for shock and awe value to Australian readers...Canadians can ignore this pic]

The Seawall Reopens

2007-11-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Late last year part of 'The Seawall' was closed after a big storm. This weekend is reopened with little fanfare but much joy in the hearts of Vancouverites.

G

Migratory Ducks

Early Morning

Siwash Rock

Ship Entering Burrard Inlet

Back in The Hill Country

2007-11-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

It was yet another holiday in Sri Lanka (Diwali this time), so I took the opportunity, along with two friends, to travel through the hill country by train. It was an 11 hour journey which began in Colombo and ended in a small town called Ella (which sits at the edge of the southern range of the mountains). As a train fanatic, I enjoyed every minute of the trip...it also brought back memories of when Geoff and I did the same trip 9 years earlier! T

View over Ella (toward the south coast)

Tony getting on board
Tony waiting for our ride back to Colombo
Henrik (from our room's balcony)
Winding through the hill country at 2000 metres
A stop in a hill town

A Friend's Death

2007-11-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

We make and break plans to meet with friends and family all of the time, citing work obligations, and other commitments; and then the unexpected happens...

"A Macedonian volunteer attached to the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) team died early morning yesterday (Nov. 4) when the motorcycle he was riding had collided with an Army vehicle in the Cinnamon Gardens police area, police said.

Police said that Mr. Roman Mirceski (36) died on the spot after being involved in a head-on collusion with the military vehicle. Police have taken into custody the driver of the military vehicle and he was to be produced before the magistrate yesterday. The United Nations Development Programme said that the victim had been supporting the VOICE Project as an ICT4D Specialist".

I only knew Roman for a few months, and with both our busy lives, we never met up as often as we should have. Thanks Roman, for reminding us to prioritize friends, to enjoy the most casual get togethers, and to not take our mortality for granted.

Fall Colours...

2007-10-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Geoff's Update.....

2007-10-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Yes I have been a bit absent in blogging lately..the weather has been a bit crappy and I have not felt very inspired to take any pictures...until this afternoon!

On my way to the pool the sun was getting close to setting and produced a beautiful gloaming which really complimented some of the Fall (autumn) colours....enjoy!

Otherwise doing fine and settling into winterish routines with the shorter daylight hours etc...time to dust of my video store membership card again...any suggestions on good movies???

The city pools have finally reopened after a 3 month strike so it has been nice to be able to get back in the water in our local pool rather than travelling to get a swim in.

Terry finishes his contract in about 10 weeks...

Love

G

Baby Ethan

2007-10-20T05:04:00.001-07:00

Just a baby Ethan update. Lori sent some photos, so I thought I would drop a couple into the blog...T

A smile or is it gas?

Obviously not as avid an Oilers fan as his dad.

What Happened to Geoff?

2007-10-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

I remember a time, only a couple of months ago, when Geoff would grace us with his presence...posting black and white photos of Vancouver and giving us insight into life on the westcoast of Canada.

I hope this will motivate him into action, in the meantime, I'll post a few photos I took on a "day (off) in the life of Terry". My new pool, and I have it all to myself.
Mt. Lavinia Hotel with monsoon clouds moving in.

End of my street, with my three-wheeler guys waiting.

Listening Project

2007-09-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I was away from Colombo for the past week working as a facilitator for the "Listening Project". The basic idea behind the project was to send teams to various parts of the country to have discussions with people about their experiences with international assistance, whether it be humanitarian, livelihood, emergency, and so on.

I led a team to Anuradhapura district which sits in the north central part of the country and is one of the original buddhist kingdoms dating back 2300 years. The cultural aspects were interesting, but I was more taken by the stories people told us about what is happening in the area in terms of assistance and development. Two of the days were spent on the northern defence line which separates the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) and government areas. It was amazing hearing the perspectives of people constantly displaced, sent to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and then starting over. Many of the people we spoke to had lost family members in bombings and attacks, were living in temporary shelters, and had very little money (if any), but they were some of the kindest and warmest people I've ever met in my life.

It was an opportunity for me to get into the field, leave my desk in Colombo, and gain a new experience in Sri Lanka. AMAZING!!!

Baby Ethan

2007-09-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

yes, my "baby sister" had a baby of her own. Lori "Lou Lou" Spurway gave birth to Ethan Cole Spurway on September 9th, 2007 after only 4 hours in labour. I heard that Lori even drove herself to the hospital. Considering she's from good Ukraininian farmer stock, I'm surprised she didn't have him at home and continue making breakfast.

I have officially nicknamed my new nephew "Rutiger" for no other reason than to use a Simpson's reference. Mom and dad both seem pretty tired and there have been a few little panic moments of the first time parents "wondering what to do next." Everything is fine now, uncle Terry is definitely not happy to be so far away at the moment, but updates come regularly, so that has to do at the moment. T

Uncles Terry and Geoff (again)

2007-09-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Well Terry's little sister Lori just had her first baby at 8:45 this morning...Terry is still asleep in Sri Lanka and will get all the news once he wakes up. I will let him fill you out on all the details.....Mom, Dad and baby boy all doing well.

Love
G

Quote from the Seawall #1

2007-08-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

"Hey I have to change my whole f@*king lifestyle... where did this start?"

Quotes from the Seawall...Intro

2007-08-21T21:39:00.001-07:00

Hi All

For a few years now I keep threatening that I will write a book compiled of quotable quotes overheard as someone passes you on the seawall deep in conversation. As I will never actually get around to this I thought I would throw a few of them out on the blog instead over time.

Love
G

Back to the Seawall...

2007-08-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Well Terry is now back in Sri Lanka after a whirlwind but great visit...lots of time just to hang out and reconnect. So now it is time to get back into my solo routine for a few months...

As you would probably know from my previous posts 'The Seawall' forms a lot of my activity space year round. Here are a bunch of pics from the last little while...

Sunday Afternoon Couple

Second Beach

Third Beach

Groovy Graffitti

B&W Series

WOW....that went fast!!!

2007-08-13T00:08:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I'm sitting in my hotel in Bangkok right now...How did the time go so quickly?

With that being said, I had a great time in Vancouver reconnecting with Geoff, taking a holiday up the Sunshine Coast, seeing friends, going to a wedding, celebrating the start of another decade, wandering around during Pride, and so on.

Bangkok is my middle point to help me get back into time zone, back into the heat/humidity, and to think about my time in Canada, and my 3-4 months ahead in Colombo. The biggest question I was asked when I was at home was, "are you enjoying it in Sri Lanka?" My answer to that was a resounding "yes". Even with the conflict, human rights issues, heat and accompanying sweat, poverty, etc, I feel lucky to have this opportunity, to have a partner who supports my work, and to have new perspectives and thoughts thrown at me to challenge me for both my professional and personal growth.

Thanks everyone for making my time in Vancouver so memorable. I look forward to seeing you all again in a few months. T

Camping it up at Mermaid Cove

A view of Mermaid Cove

Vancouver Pride

Bangkok Street Scene

Terry's 40th...

2007-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hi All

To get the birthday weekend started we had a couple of friends [or friends who are a couple] over for drinks. Then a few more friends over on Saturday night for drinks, the fireworks from the balcony then off to The Pumpjack our local bar to take in the sights and sounds of a whole lot of sexy men in leather...[ok so maybe that was a little present for me in there as well ;) ].

Home at some God forsaken hour but up early on the day itself for an ocean dip before heading off to another friends wedding: One of the grooms being Sikh, east indian Canadian born and his husband USA born Radical Faerie, the wedding being conducted in the Dr Sun Yat Sen garden by a Chinese/Canadian marriage celebrant...complete with dove release. Home from there and then off to the Gay Pride post parade festival at the beach where it was my job to announce to anyone that we met that it was Terry's birthday...with lots of ensuing hugs/kisses and then some. Dinner with friends old and some new, then an evening wandering about Davie Street people watching.

At the wedding

Terry and Mohammad

Terry and Claudio

The One that Got Away

Monday was a public holiday so we had time to just hang out and have a lazy day, time at the beach swimming and snoozing in the sun.

All in all a well celebrated birthday.... year older but I think he is actually getting better looking as he goes.

Love to all

Geoff

Pending Birthday...

2007-08-04T11:39:00.001-07:00

Guess Who Turns 40 Tomorrow???

Terry in Town...

2007-08-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hi All

As you would know from previous postings Terry is now back in town for a two week break...time to catch up, celebrate his 40th birthday and just generally hang out, and just spend time with each other.

I can honestly say that after 9 months it has been a little strange being back in each others space and finding our rhythms as a couple again, especially knowing that it is such a short break together this time around...

So after a few days in Vancouver of getting over jetlag we headed up the coast to a place called Saltery Bay to go camping, sit by the fire, lay around naked in the sun and swim, swim, swim...Nature has that wonderful quality of letting a lot of your 'stuff' slide to allow time just to be with each other and reconnect.

Tomorrow is Terry's 40th birthday. It also happens to be two gay friends wedding and gay Pride all in one day....and all of that is before 5pm!

I will post again tomorrow with a few photos of the day for you.

Love
G

A Weekend Away and Only Seven More Days

2007-07-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend in the beautiful city of Kandy. My friend Jasmine works there for the Women's Development Cooperative, so I stayed with her at her very luxurious apartment (which is actually a wing of an old mansion). It was a good chance to unwind and enjoy the serenity of the hill country, before winding up my work to prepare for my 2 week Vancouver break. I'll be home on July 26th and I am SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! T

Kandy Town

The "oh so glamourous" Jasmine

The view from Jasmine's apartment

Another view from Jasmine's garden

2007-07-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

07 07 07

Posted for no other reason than it is one of those interesting dates.

Love

The Countdown Begins...to August 5th

2007-07-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Tomorrow will be just one month until Terry's birthday on August the 5th...40th birthday that is!

Love
G

30 Years On...

2007-06-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Cathie brought a few old photos with her for me to copy and I realized that these two were taken 30 years apart... 1977 (note the fabulous 70's pattern on the speedos) and 2007 (which you have seen before)

Love

1977

2007

In search of...

2007-06-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Cathie (one of my sisters) is in town visiting for two weeks and we have spent the last week or so in search of beautiful flora, fauna and landscapes with lots of success! I will post a fuller selection in the next few days but here are a few to get you started.

Love

G

Life and Nothing But

2007-06-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

lately Geoff and I have been quite reflective as I'm sure you've all noticed. I've started my new Human Rights blog, Sri Lanka is taking a turn for the worse, and Geoff has been putting life and death into perspective. As a bit of a change, I'm adding some photos to help me revisit the beauty of Sri Lanka, and to reconnect with my partner on the other side of the world. T

Gary, Tom & Sequoia

2007-06-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Dear All

This evening finds me in a very reflective happy/sad head space inspired by nature, death, love and friendship. I don't really know where to start this posting so here goes...

A week ago an old friend Derek from Australia's Dad Gary died, today a friend Tom in the US from my meditation group died, in the next few weeks a friend in Vancouver's dog Sequoia is expected to die of cancer...

Each of their deaths bring something very beautiful to my life...I don't have the words to describe it exactly but it has to do with a feeling of an appreciation for what each of them has given to their friends and families and how they have each made an impression and changed the world in their own ways.

Gary belongs to a category of men who I would describe as 'one of life's good guys'. He watched us fumble our ways through our late teens and early twenties. I'm sure we annoyed the hell out of him sometimes with the constant invasions of his home, but he always made us feel welcome. I last saw Gary at my parents 50th wedding anniversary dinner...a bit older a greyer than I remember him but still the same old Gary, greeting me like I was a long lost friend. At the end of the night Gary and his wife Rose were the last to leave the restaurant and as we all walked out into the street and said our goodbyes I would not have imagined that it was the last time we would see each other....I will miss him.

Tom died suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep last night. He also belongs in the 'one of life's good guys' category. Apart from his numerous other roles at our retreats, Tom was the offical 'meet and greet' guy as people arrived to register. He was an uncomplicated guy who had a big heart and the ability to just go up to total strangers who were looking lost and a bit vulnerable and make them feel completely welcome and cared for. My last memory of Tom was chatting about how he was going to celebrate his birthday that evening with his wife and kids with a late night pizza after getting home from retreat....I will miss him.

Sequoia has an inoperable cancer and is expected to die in the next few weeks. Sequoia is a 13 year old labrador and constant companion of her 'dad' Chadwick to whom she has brought an incredible wealth of love and joy over the years. Sequoia holds the official title of being one of this planets mellowest dogs. As with all 'labs' she loves the water and the last time I saw her she had decided that she was feeling well enough to climb out of bed where she had uncharicteristically been for the previous few days and just chase sticks in and out of the water at the beach for the afternoon with a few doggie buddies....I will miss her.

I spent today in nature with a friend hiking in the mountians, swimming in a lake and this evening by myself with my first swim in the ocean for the season. Nature brings out the best in me and I reflect a lot when I am in it....with lots of reflecting today....as far as I know Gary, Tom & Sequoia didn't set out to transform the world we live in by doing anything particularly profound but each of them has done so in their own way by just being who they are and loving those who surround them.

I thank each of them for the impact that they have left on my life and for the sense of appreciation that their deaths has given me for those who love and surround me.

G

Terry's New Blog

2007-06-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to find space to write about human rights and human rights abuses, diversity, conflict, etc., so I created a blog to branch off from this one to do just that. The idea behind it is more of a challenge really, a challenge for friends, family and bloggers to become more aware about what's happening around the world. It's a new site (as of Saturday, June 2, 2007), so it has a lot of work ahead. I've added the link below and to the links section on the right side of this blog. T

http://humanrightsrespectingdiversity.blogspot.com/

Heather Small - Proud

2007-06-02T00:17:00.001-07:00

Proud of Colombo Pride

2007-05-27T09:37:00.001-07:00

The past week was spent attending Colombo Pride events. It is not a small feat organizing Pride when you consider that homosexuality is illegal in this country. I am extremely "proud" of Equal Ground, the organization that showed the courage to see it through, and to my own "team Vancouver", who helped us raise almost $1000 toward Pride and other events which will help create awareness in the community and educate people on equality, respect, and diversity.

I've attached a video (see above) that became a bit of an anthem for me during Pride and some photos of the events during the week. I'm also happy to say that I began volunteering at Equal Ground about a month ago, as I am very impressed with their passion and commitment to human rights issues. T

Paradox and My Random Six month Reflections

2007-05-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Life as I see it is filled with paradoxical meaning...

Throughout our lives we are faced with what we've done and what we haven't done. Is it better to regret something you've done than something you haven't? Light and Dark, Truth and Lies, Hatred and Love...these things have come to the forefront of my thinking lately with recent developments in the country. CHA (my organization) is presently under fire for its views on the country. Some employees have been targetted and have been asked by a certain political party to choose "money or life". My question is why would you ask a "humanitarian worker" that question"? My naive thought is that as humanitarian workers we are not there for money, fame, etc, but rather to see the country grow, reconcile and prosper. How can one choose such a diabolical ultimatum?

Over the past month I have been fortunate to be invited to some very high profile fora. These fora have all covered the same topic, "Peace and Development". Three of the speakers have been from three different parties, the opposition party (UNP) which was heading the country up to 2 years ago, the JVP (or as a call them, the terrorist maoist party), and the JHU (or as I call them, the militant monk party). The UNP's standpoint was to bring back the Cease Fire Agreement, work on peace, build business and focus on the future; the JVP called for an increased war, the crushing of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), and a socialized system of government headed by the Sinhalese; the JHU stated that there is only one Sri Lanka and history shows that it belongs to the Sinhala buddhists and the only way to peace is by "winning" the war against the LTTE.

Something struck me during each of these fora, the only person standing up for all out peace had a focus on the future. The latter two speakers often related the situation taking place in the country to the past- the foreign influence, the colonizers, and the glory of ancient civilizations. I saw this reliance on the past as a kind of weapon, a way to distort and justify the present. Much of my reflection was supported by a talk given by an archbishop from Rwanda. He came to speak on the genocide, Rwanda's ministy of Peace and Reconciliation, and his country's position 10 years on. His major point was to let the past be the past, remember it, understand it, but don't let it take over decisions for the present and future-that reliance, he said, is the surest way of keeping anger, hatred, ethnic division, and self-imposed victimization alive.

I walked down the street today and saw the same woman I've seen over the past 6 months with the same four children, begging on the street. I have never been the type of person to give to beggars (I see it as demeaning to the person/people), but tonight I felt something different, a certain compassion and empathy which comes at certain moments. I gave the woman 1000 rupees (10$ Canadian) and she cried. This money may not seem like a lot to us in Canada, but it will probably help her feed herself and her children for the next two weeks. I felt rather helpless at that moment, and I realized that feeling was good...sometimes that helplessness helps us gain perspective.

T

Seawall

2007-05-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

United Arab Emirates

2007-05-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Burj Al Arab Hotel (World's only 7 star hotel)
Night View of the Burj Al Arab Hotel Francis at the Sharjah Wall
Minarets at the Sudanese Mosque in Sharjah

Black and White Street Scene

During yet another Sri Lankan holiday week I flew to UAE and visited my friend Francis in Dubai. We managed to tour around a bit, doing day trips to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Dubai is basically one big construction site with 100s of cranes. 40% of the city's population is made up of migrant workers, mainly from South Asia, with 75% of the population being male...I didn't complain about that last statistic though! Francis was an excellent host showing me around his new host country. T

The Hill Country

2007-05-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Henrik and I drove up to the hill country to see the tea plantations, mountains, waterfalls, and to relax in the cooler climes. I've attached some photos from the different areas we went to: Mosque overlooking the town of Haputale, "Monkeying around", "Ella's Gap", and tea, tea, and more tea. T

April 29 Update

2007-04-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all

You might have heard about the early morning terrorist attack on Colombo. I just got a call from Terry...it is about 2am in Sri Lanka and he is safe and well (hurray for Skype and the internet!). He is boiling to death though as they have cut power to the city so his ceiling fan is not working.

It seems that the biggest drama at the moment is there is no power for people to be watching the world cup Sri Lanka vs Australia as it enters its last overs...arghh!

Here is the latest from the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6604645.stm

Love
G

(Sunday morning 7:04: Sri Lanka lost the world cup final, power didn't come on until just after 5am which means there was no world cup viewing in Colombo during the last part of the match, and there was gunfire in Bambalapitiya [area where I live]. I don't know the story on that yet, but will find out more...T)

Black and White

2007-04-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Since Geoff is experimenting with black and white images, here are a few of my own... T

Rückenfigur...

2007-04-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

"Literally meaning "back figure", the term rückenfigur is usually associated with German romantic painters, such as Caspar David Friedrich, to describe a viewpoint that includes another person seen from behind, viewing a scene spread out before the viewer. (The key element to understand Friedrich's ideas and the relevance of his work is the link between landscape and religion. Most of his best-known paintings are expressions of a religious mysticism. His landscapes seek not just blissful enjoyment of a beautiful view, as in the Classic conception, but an instant of sublimity, a reunion with the spiritual self through the lonely contemplation of the overwhelming nature).

Over the years this particular technique has found its way quite substantially into the heart of both photography and cinema, but strangely receives little acknowledgment in either. While rückenfigur has its own classical definitions, this group is open to examine the mystery that rückenfigur conveys... so, many interpretations of this visual style are welcome"...

G

Beyond Externals...#2

2007-04-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hey All

Many thanks to my first willing subject for this project...

Love

Nicole - Age 43

Beyond Externals...

2007-04-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hey all

I have always been fascinated by what a portrait can capture of someone beyond the externals. A few years back I saw a series of portraits in B&W that I found incredibly inspiring and decided recently that I would love to be able to capture some of that in my own photography.

In a moment of complete self indulgence (basically it is the only subject matter that I happen to have on hand at the moment!), I have started with 'Self portrait - age 42'. This may end up a series of portraits of friends, family and others over time or maybe just a few sporadic photos...who knows?...

If you are willing to sit for a portrait let me know...and yes you will get veto on whether it is used for the blog or not!

Love

G

Self Portrait - Age 42

Change of Seasons!

2007-04-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

On the lighter side of things after my last serious post...

While Geoff is adding spring photos, we're preparing for the monsoons in Sri Lanka. It has started to rain a bit here, which is welcome relief after three months of dry weather and a month of sweltering temperatures. There have even been power cuts due to the lack of rain (and this country relying heavily on hydroelectric power), and people have been feeling completely drained from the heat.

I've been told that the rains also bring a kind of spring to this region as well, with a lot of flowers blooming at the end of April and into May (photo updates to come).

In the meantime, I've been looking through my other photos and I'm posting some artsy ones for your enjoyment.

War...What is it Good For?

2007-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka is paradise with a problem...war in the north and east!

I'm living in a country filled with death, bombs, fear, anger, propoganda, frustration, loss, warmth, forgiveness, and hope. I've been asked by many of you to write on the "reality" of WHERE I am and WHY I'm here. These are some of my perspectives:

While we live in relative comfort in Colombo, other parts of this beautiful country are paying the price for a 30+ year conflict; fisherman who aren't allowed to fish (because of security and curfews), farmers who can't farm (because of landmines, unsecured land, etc), and people with small businesses who can't work (because they keep getting displaced, and then return to stolen and bombed-out equipment). Families are scared to send their kids to school...because children disappear and end-up as soldiers. While some people are making decent wages in this country, some are getting by on less than 2000 rupees/month ($20)...that's WHERE I am.

When I'm in Canada I often hear that we are "lucky" and that we should be thankful for living in such a peaceful place. My response is yes, we are lucky, but I also do not want to see us take what we have for granted. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the reality taking place in many parts of the world, but at the same time it is important to engage in, and understand that reality, and use the knowledge gained to actively participate in upholding the rights and privileges that we are being afforded in Canada. I am speaking as much about myself as about anyone when I say that we need to become more aware, and overcome the development of complacency; We are sometimes more concerned with the details of "what can make MY life better", than the big picture of "what can make our society a better and more human/e place to live"...that's WHY I'm here.

That's my rant for the day. I've added some newsreels on the side... T

April Fool's Day from Google

2007-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all

I was just looking at Google's April Fools Day joke http://www.google.com/tisp/ quite clever really...have a look at the FAQ section.

I have also just added a new weather box on the right hand side [especially for Canadians who love their weather forecasts!]. You can use the drop-down menu for changing between Vancouver and Colombo

G

Vancouver Spring...

2007-03-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all

Well it's now officially Spring and the weather seems to be co-operating with the calendar...a stunning day outside and it seems like the whole city is coming into bloom...people have a bit of Spring fever (little bit giddy from the sudden influx of sunshine) and every man and his dog is out walking.

Here are a few pics from Stanley Park from this morning (the cherry blossom and magnolia trees to bore you as promised), a statue of Robbie Burns, my cousin-in-law Randy who just can't seem to get enough coffee and my place of work.

I have also added a new page element to the blog over here on the right hand side --->
...a few randomly generated movie images from Vancouver...enjoy(!?)

Love
G

Maldives: A Weekend Getaway

2007-03-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I know that many of you will hate me when they see this posting. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and was invited to the Maldives for a weekend getaway. My costs were minimal for the trip to this very expensive destination. It was a great weekend of snorkelling off of some reefs, swimming, more snorkelling, more swimming, and lounging around reading. The water was AMAZING and when I was snorkelling I saw sharks, moray eels, turtles, parrot fish, barracuda, angel fish, sting rays...and the list goes on. The photos I'm attaching are all about the water...so no explanations are necessary. There is one extra that I threw in because I thought it was quite stunning with the Maldivian boy against the white sand beach.

Doi Tung and Bangkok

2007-03-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

Wat Arun, the other side of the Chao Phraya in Bangkok
Street baristas...love at first site (80 cent espresso)!
Doi Tung Coffee Shop in the Botanical Gardens

Meeting between partners and villagers on the Myanmar border

Doi Tung sunrise

Hi everyone,

yes, it's been a long time since I last posted. Things are getting busier at work with my livelihood responsibilities; the war is heating up so we are having a lot of meetings on security issues and emergency response; and I had eight days away in Thailand (half work and half vacation).

The trip to Thailand began in the Doi Tung region outside of Chiang Rai. This area straddles the Laos and Myanmar borders, the infamous Golden Triangle (opium poppies). I organized a group of NGOs and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce Sri Lanka to go and view a development site. The basis in the program was to rid the area of opium by diversifying the livelihoods of villages in the area. The Thais were well ahead of their time when the project began in 1988. They realized the social problems that came with opium (addiction, prostitution, and the sale of their children to be sold to "entrepreneurs" from Bangkok who were recruiting them into the "sex travel" trade). They also realized that opium was the only source of income for many of the people in the villages. Rather than destroy all of the crops, they did needs assessments, introduced new crops such as coffee and macademia nuts and then brought in social programs that helped addicts, built capacity through vocational training, and provided medical services.

20 years later and the project has found its place in high end niche markets. Macadamia nuts, coffee, pottery, decorative paper, handicrafts, and tea are now produced in the region and sold in shops throughout the region and in Bangkok. There is also tourism (hotel, botanical gardens, Opium Museum). It's an amazing accomplishment and the average per capity income in the region has increased 10 fold since 1990.

It was very inspiring, and the hope now is to take the learnings, and principles associated with the project into the Sri Lankan context. The burning question is "how do you create such an initiative in an area in conflict"?

After the tour, I took a bit of personal time and spent four days in Bangkok. It's not the place I remember from when I was last there in 1990. It's glitzy, efficient, clean, and more expensive. It was great to wander around though and rediscover the city. The highpoint was definitely the street baristas ready with my morning espresso.

Coffee and Spring

2007-03-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hi All

It has been a little while since I posted so I thought I had better get my act together.

Well it is official I think I have developed a coffee habit...in the grand scheme of things I guess it beats a heroin or crack habit. I don't 'have ' to have a coffee everyday but I certainly seem to look forward to having one each day. Here is a sign from the local coffee shop "The Laughing Bean" near my meditation centre that I thought was quite amusing...

In other news it looks like Spring is on the horizon (despite the dusting of snow that we had earlier in the week). The white cherry blossoms are just starting to bloom so I will bore you with a few photos of those in the coming weeks.

Stanley Park that got trashed by the recent storms is starting to open up a few more of the internal trails over the last few weeks, but the seawall will remain closed for some time yet. I was wandering in the park today and something caught my eye...."Spot the bicycle"

Here is a pic from last week as the sunset hit the mountains:

And one more just because I liked it:

Terry is in northern Thailand this week with a group of NGOs who are investigating a livelihood project that was set up in the golden triangle. I will leave it to him to post some pics and news when he gets back.

Lots of love to all

First VBlog - Vancouver

2007-02-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

Hi All

This posting is an experiment in linking you to a youtube video that I have just uploaded...

Enjoy!??

G

The Coast With the Most

2007-02-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Another long weekend, another chance to explore (can you believe it, 3 statutory holidays in one week). A friend from Denmark and I drove down the south coast and explored a few beach areas, saw the stilt fishermen that Sri Lanka is famous for, wandered around Galle Fort (Dutch architecture at its finest), and stayed at a couple of inexpensive guest houses/bungalows along the way. Sunny and warm, and even a cool 20 degrees in the evening (compared to Colombo's 25), it was a great weekend! I'm sure there will be more to come. T

My Activity Space

2007-01-13T04:27:00.000-08:00

This won't be the most inspirational posting, but I thought I would post some pictures of my "activity space", that is, the areas I go to (or walk by) on a regular basis. The photos are: the local hindu temple, the lane leading to my apartment, a view over my home turf (Colombo 4, Bambalapitiya), the Friday night "Sundowner" meeting spot, and the pool I stop at on the way home from work (I know I'm obsessed with water).

Vancouver Winter 2007

2007-01-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Well it has certainly been an 'active' weather winter so far. Lots of rain, then lots of wind and now snow and cold temperatures. As I write it is -6 (minus 6) and tomorrow morning it will be -9 (minus 9)...very similar to Terry's weather in Colombo....Not!

Today the sun came out (finally!) and it is supposed to be a mix of sunny days for the next week or so. I have been out taking a few pics over the last while and have included some above.
Love
G

Just a Pic

2007-01-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

Ciao 2006

2006-12-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hi All

A pretty quiet Xmas here in Vancouver and a quiet New Years eve to come....all good though. I've been out doing lots of walking and an occasional catch up with friends. Other wise the usual work and time spent with my meditation group activities.

I have attached three B&W pics...one a seawall scene for this time of year and the other a fallen giant

Hope you all had a good Xmas and that the new year finds you all happy and well
love
G

Paradise Regained

2006-12-30T18:07:00.000-08:00

It's New Year's Eve and I just got back into Colombo after spending a week down the coast visiting district CHA offices. December 26th was the second year anniversary of the tsunami; it was a strange feeling to be standing on the spot (at the time the wave hit- 9:25am) where 1500 people lost their lives. One of the responsibilities in my work here is to help coordinate livelihood programs for people who were affected by the tsunami. Two years after the fact many people still live in temporary shelters (ie tents). There are some great initiatives happening though, and many people have rebuilt their lives and have adopted more sustainable practices for their communities.

I did take time out of my schedule to enjoy the beauty of the south. I took a boat trip on a lake in Tissamaharamaya, traveled to a seated buddha near Matara, and stayed and swam at two beach areas (Hikkaduwa and Beruwela). My colleagues went back to Colombo after our last visit and I stayed in Beruwela for two more days to enjoy. AMAZING, and only one and a quarter hours to my home by bus!!! T

Christmas in Colombo

2006-12-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas in Colombo, the most wonderful time of the year!!!
Hi everyone, just wanted to send a quick note to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Although I've only been away 6 weeks, this time of year always makes me think of friends and family, and I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking of everyone.

I've attached photos of my Christmas morning walk on the beach, a poster that reflects the reality of Sri Lanka, and a badly taken photo of my local shopping centre "Majestic City". T

Kandy is Dandy

2006-12-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

I traveled to Kandy last weekend, and although it was only a 3 hour trip, the scenery and temperature changed quite a bit as the train climbed 500 metres into the mountains. It was raining and only 21 degrees in Kandy- I loved it, a full day without sweating. The photos I've attached are of the trip up, the lake in the middle of the city, and the temple of the sacred tooth (buddha's tooth is said to be kept there). T

Vancouver Wind Storm...

2006-12-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

Hi All

We have just finished a crazy weather week here in Vancouver with a huge storm with winds of 100km/hr that came through at 3am on Thursday morning taking out a lot of big trees and leaving more than 200 000 homes without power. I spent the night sleeping in the corridor away from our windows that face directly into the storm path just in case of a breakage...all safe and well by morning.

It was very sad to wander around today to see so many big old trees that have come down in the storm in Stanley Park, some of them more than 100 years old as well as a few favourites of mine by the water...a good lesson in impermanence and the power of nature I suppose. The internal roads in Stanley park are still closed off as well as the foot trails because of all of the damage.

G

Pools of Colombo

2006-12-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

What does one do when one lives in a tropical location?..swim of course. I wouldn't trust the waters around Colombo as they can get quite rough and they're not particularly clean. When I don't have the chance to go to the southern beaches I make it a personal mission to find the best pools in the city. I've joined the Royal College Pool as a member, which means I can do some serious swimming anytime for the amazing cost of $35.00 for the year (unlimited). What it offers in term of a place to exercise, it lacks in ambience...I've discovered some places to pass the time on weekends...the pool at the Trans Asia Hotel and the Galle Face Hotel. I prefer the former, but the Galle Face has a British colonial charm which puts it ahead. I know this blog is lacking in adventure, but I thought this would be a good one to throw at all of you who are "enjoying" winter!!! T.

Life in Sri Lanka

2006-12-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

Well I've now been in SL for just a little over two weeks. I'm settled in at work, have kind of figured out what my mandate will be for the next year, and have met some great people both at work and in social settings.

I realize other than the initial photos of my apartment, I haven't added any Colombo photos. So I've added one more of the outside of my home, and a couple more around the city.

A suicide bomber killed 11 people yesterday very close to where I work, but it all seemed very "normal" for my colleagues. The only suggestion made to me was to not take main streets home as there would be an increased militaty presence and traffic jams. It was all quite fascinating really and I'm not worried at all!

I am helping to coordinate a Post-Tsunami Rehabilation Conference next week. It will be interesting to find out what's been happening in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, and India in terms of recovery to date. Chris, my predecessor was the brains behind the event, it's unfortunate that he will be missing it, but I feel quite privileged to be stepping into his shoes, so to speak.

That's it for this update...T

Down the South Coast

2006-11-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

As Geoff said in his last post, my ADSL is still not connected, it should be done by the beginning of December. I am connected at work though, so I can add another blog or two before I once again head down the coast for more field visits.

The photos I've added here are from my recent visit to the towns of Matara, Hambantota, and Tengalle.

By the way, December 4 is a Poya Day here (full moon day) which means it's a holiday. I am planning to spend the long weekend down the coast or at one of the tea areas in the mountains. T

Terry Settling In...Geoff Heading South

2006-11-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

Hey All

Just to let you know that Terry is doing fine, but has not had his ADSL connected up yet so communications are a bit limited at the moment....hopefully connected in the next few days.

I just spoke to him briefly a few minutes ago on Skype from his office...sounds like he is settling in well and really enjoying the experience so far.

He has just gotten back from a trip south from Colombo..."I had a great trip, spent some time with some very motivated/motivating people, and even saw my first snake". Those who know Terry's morbid fear of snakes will appreciate that the 'first sighting' was no small matter. Photos of the trip will becoming once he is back online.

As for me I am settling into a bit of a routine now and getting used to this being an extended trip away.

This time of year also marks my annual retreat time and I am off to Clear Lake, California for a 2 week retreat with my meditation group (see the photo). I will be leaving on Nov 24th and back on Dec 8th.

Till then
Love
G

In Colombo ( Sorry no photos yet)

2006-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

well I've now been in Colombo for two days and have done an overwhelming amount of activity. I went into work on Friday to start my orientation and it turned into a full-day affair: Intoduction to the staff at WUSC, Security meeting, Dos and Dont's meeting, Cell phone shopping (yes Terry Rogocki has officially joined the 21st century), Contract signing for my apartment, etc.......Needless to say, I made it back to my hotel room at around 6pm and fell asleep until 5am Saturday morning.

I spent Saturday doing a city tour. Colombo is really a nice city once you get orientated to it. There are some beautiful buildings, lively markets, wide boulevards with amazing trees, the sounds of the TATA truck horns, and amazing smells (of food and spices). It does have reminders of the unrest present in the country though. There are random checkpoints around the city, and the Fort area, which houses many of the government offices has a few streets blocked off. I did the tour with a driver from WUSC which was great. I walked around earlier in the day for a couple of hours and almost died of heat exhaustion (okay I'm being dramatic). It's definitely going to take some time to get used to the heat and humidity!!!

After the tour, I moved my stuff into my apartment. Once I began unpacking, it hit me that I am actually going to be living and working in Sri Lanka. That thought was quickly replaced by the realization that I'm living in the tropics when I found a dead- lizard-surprise in one of my clothing drawers! That aside, I'm on a high at the moment. Lots to learn and experience, I just wish Geoff was here with me!

That's it for now. On Sunday I am going down the south coast to a town called Matara. I will be meeting some of the WUSC partners and I was told that I will have Sunday afternoon on the beach....ahh the perks of a tropical, hot country, filled with lizards.

Stay tuned for some photos!

T

Vancouver Storms

2006-11-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hi All

It looks like the weather was waiting for Terry to leave before it let loose...for the last day since he left we have had heavy rain and high winds which have really blown the shit out of us....lots of homes left with a power outage across the lower mainland. A bit more on the way tomorrow but nothing like the last day or so (we got 2 inches of rain and Port Mellon which is not to far from Vancouver recorded 8 inches of rain!).

Ok it seems that I now have no life and that all I can manage is a lame discussion about the weather.....arghh! No need to worry though I have been off to work and off to my usual mediation group meetings since Terry left and apart from a big cry on the day he left I have been doing well.

Just to finish off I have included a few pics from the day before Terry left.

G

In Hong Kong

2006-11-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hi all, after a 15 hour flight I made it to Hong Kong (overnight). I arrived at 11pm, so I just went to my hotel and got a good night sleep. I woke up early and explored a bit of Kowloon (see the photos). I met up with a friend in the afternoon and wandered around Hong Kong Island. This is my fifth visit to HK and I thought I would catch a sunny day...as per all of my other visits, it was completely overcast which means I did not have a chance to go to Victoria Peak. The temperature was a comfortable 25 degrees though (with humidity), so I didn't feel totally drained...I'm sure that will come in Colombo.

T

2 Days to Go + Skype

2006-11-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hi All

The bag is somewhat packed (?) and its now just two days to go until Terry heads off to Sri Lanka... Last night we had drinks out with a few friends and just taking things easy for today. On Tuesday Terry flies to Hong Kong then transits through Bangkok before arriving in Colombo on Thursday 16th. You can expect a few updates on here in from Terry after that.

By the way Terry will have high speed internet at his apartment so if any of you have Skype or are planning on using Skype www.skype.com (see also the link on the right hand column) send an email to Terry and he can pass on his user name so you can chat online free once he he arrives.

Eight Days and Counting

2006-11-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Only 8 days until I leave for S.L. I've added some links to keep people informed about where I'll be working and living. I've also added an apartment photo and will send more once I've moved in and added my decorating touches. T

Add your comments?

2006-11-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hi all

This morning I switched on the setting to allow your coments to be added as well, so feel free....At the bottom of each of these postings is a 'comment' link...just click on that and off you go. (The comments are all moderated, so there may be a delay between you posting one and it actually appearing...sorry about the moderation: To make things easier for all of you, I have made the ability to post comments available to literally anyone on the net who happens to pass by, so I thought it might be a wise to add that feature)

One last thing...We would be delighted to continue receiving any of your smutty comments via our regular email address but please remember that this blog is for our families as well and Gail (hi mum!) may not want to hear about your weekend away with that butch mechanic you met last month at the pool?
Love
G

Mountain Scenery

2006-11-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

Hey All
Here are a some pics that some of you have seen before but no harm in posting some nice scenery (Lake Garabaldi, BC)

G

Geoff n Terry

2006-11-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

Geoff n Terry

Good job with the blog G. I`m on the other side of the country at the moment (Ottawa and Montreal) and I just got my confirmation for my trip to Sri Lanka. I will be leaving on November 14...not a fun flight, 14 hours Vancouver to Hong Kong direct...overnight in Hong Kong then off to Colombo the next day routing through Bangkok (8 hours of flying).

I will be back in Vancouver to spend my last week with G, we even have the long weekend together (including the Monday).

T

Just so that you remember what we look like if it has been a while...

2006-11-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

This one is fairly recent from earlier this year taken just north of Vancouver in the mountains
G

Getting back from slack.......

2006-11-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Hey All

Well this is my first attempt since getting back to Vancouver in October at doing something about keeping in touch with family and friends (after several years of inexcusable slackness!) I thought I would throw out a test picture for you....

I have been back about a week and a bit now and really just getting over jet lag (this one is really taking a while). Back at work and all that is going well.

We have just had Halloween here and the 'fall' (autumn) has definitely kicked in since I was away, though we are really squeezing the last out of the sunny days which is quite unusual for Vancouver at this time of year... the rain is on its way.

I quite like this time of year as it is quite a contemplative time, clouds drifting through cedar and hemlock covered mountians...slow down time when the seawall and Stanley Park becomes home to the locals again.

Terry is away in Ottawa and Montreal this week doing orientation for his new Job in Sri Lanka....no news on the leaving date yet...hopefully we will know when he gets home on Sunday.

Anyway thats all for now...This will hopefully be the first of an ongoing 'blog' to keep you up to date with our lives

Lots a love
Geoff