I'm trying

Three years ago today I made my first blog post on Opera when I found myself isolated in a large oceanside Chinese city. Teaching English to spoiled rich kids. Living in a dungeon of an apartment where spiders as big as a CD cover lived. Where I had to climb I can't remember how many steps to get to my room. 300? I did that at least 6 times a day. I was recovering from a broken foot . My students would bring me Chinese medicine to bring down the swelling from all that climbing. The best thing about the experience? Well, some of the students, but mostly the opportunity to become a hermit and isolate myself from the world I had left. I didn't want to face people who wanted to know what happened and why.


I had been to China three times previously and had enjoyed it immensely. This time I went back out of neccessity, to pay off some debts incurred and to escape someone who had imprisoned my mind and soul with a lie of love. When I tell people the details of the story they really can't believe it. But I can look back clearly at it now and I can see I had no choice, and this was the best solution I could come up with at the time. Sometimes non action is not enough. Sometimes there are problems so great you cannot talk through them to solve them. Sometimes direct action is needed.
I didn't start my blog right away but waited a few months. At first I only posted some short paragraphs and uploaded some pictures. Actually, taking the pictures of this new city helped me get out of my head and to observe the world around me more closely. At first, I had no comments. I didn't really care, it was nice to be anonymous. And then slowly the comments came. I think it was Izzy, then JCL, Andy and Hungryghost. Then Louis and Aya. I started discovering the Opera community and reading other members' blogs. Some of us started a new club . Though I had never met any of these people in person they made me feel a little less lonely while I was shut away in my tower.

There are times that I miss China. Every few months I teach a seminar to adults wanting to go abroad and teach ESL. I tell them of my crazy experiences there. I loved that there was always newness in every situation. Whatever you may think about China, honestly you don't know anything about it until you have lived there. It's a place that makes you appreciate life. There is no place like it.

But I came back with a new strength , determined to make a new life. I've rediscovered the beauty of where I was born, the clean air, forests, mountains , lakes. I've found a job that I'm really confident with. I've reconnected with family and friends and have made a few new ones. The only piece missing is a new love. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. Honestly, the only real love I have ever had is from my family and my good friends and my cat. But it's real and I'm not sad about it. Is romantic love true anyway? It is so fickle and brings power struggles and grief. Don't tell me it doesn't! And only with the determined and the passage of time does it grow into anything true. Oh, that's for another post.

And so it continues. Where is it all leading?

Vancouver has been blanketed in fog for the past four days. Yesterday I had to do some shopping on the upper levels where I experienced sun for the first time in weeks! Only a short distance from where I live and work. Not sure about the vertical distance. Anyway. Here is a photo of Vancouver from up above. I think the clouds (fog) look like the ocean waves.

So, to escape the darkness and dampness we headed up to Cypress mountain for a little snowshoeing and sunshine. It's more than a little bit busy there on the weekend, but it's close to where I live.

Shadows mean lots of sun!

Heading up the trail. Good company, good conversation, good clean air and warm temperatures.

Heading back down. Sunset with power lines. There were even more spectacular views but no place to pull over. The strangest thing was to see the skyscrapers in full view with fog lower down. Good times for those with penthouse suites.

Hah. Challenge me will you! And to continue...I dare all of you to post a picture of yourself at 12 years old! This one is on my sister's wedding day. Twelve years old. My mom made that dress. Nice hair eh? I wonder what year that was?

Bricks bricks everywhere!
Thought Nic might be interested in this view from my back window.

Feeling all warm and fuzzy tonight. Have recieved a couple nice awards the past few days. One from Mickey-Joe and the other from Clean .I feel very honored to be tagged like this, as a friend. And now I must reciprocate, however, as those who have tagged and been tagged know, it is not easy to honor only 10 friends. Maybe I should honor all my friends, and the whole Opera community? I never thought I would meet so many great people on this site. I feel I have some true friends here, the kind of people who you can be open and honest with and will do the same for you. There are people here who have helped me through some really rough times and I owe a lot to them. You know who you are. And I've already met 2 of these people in person, and I have known another for my whole life. I certainly believe I will meet the rest of you some day. Anyway in no particular order, I tag these people for a Friendship award.

Irreverend Mike
Hun
Fellow capricorn Nic
Mr. President of the NLBC
Mr. Clean
Carry a big stick Sprogger
Renaissance woman Melissa
Flower power Ally
Sister spooksister
Cheryl the Chicken lady

"Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit."
-- Kahil Gibran.