July Long Weekend

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

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?!

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

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

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

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

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.

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

G

Heading Home from Retreat...

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

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

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]