Day 26 - Taylor

It was lovely to catch up with Ellie and see the new house. It was also very wonderful to meet baby Kenzie for the first time. Lily was as sweet as ever and is growing up into such a gorgeous child. All of us headed off early in the morning to play a bit at Wasaga Beach. Jeff came by later on, after getting off work, and we had a nice lunch on a patio by the beach. It was a visit that ended up feeling much too short, but of course it was nice to at least touch base and see the entire Clendenning-Wice family together.

For the last 7 years I only get to see Ellie in the summertime. We've had great visits in Muskoka (sometimes surprise visits), driving from Ontario to the East coast, and in the Stayner area where she lives with Jeff and their girls. Often these visits remind me of Jack Johnson songs which usually make the perfect summer soundtracks for swimming at the lake, sitting on the deck, barbecuing and drinking beer. Today's song is Taylor, a fun video that was one of my first introductions to Jack Johnson. In the following years we listened to a lot of Jack in LaBuitrera on lazy Sunday mornings and after fun hikes in the mountains or while entertaining guests and cooking.

I drove back to Burlington in time to return the rental at 5pm, meet Bonnie and Maxine and head to Toronto with them, after a quick swim with Dustin, Aaron, Shelley and Terri who were in Burlington visiting. They boys had some fun with the underwater camera.

Bonnie and I stayed the night at Maxine & Sandra's house for a visit and so that Bonnie could go to the Colombian consulate in the morning.

Day 25 - Freedom of the Road

I spent the morning running a few errands around Burlington with Bonnie and catching up. Later in the day I decided to rent a car and I hit the back roads north to Stayner to spend a night with Ellie, Lilly and Kenzie. Whenever I get behind the wheel for a solo road trip (last summer was pretty epcc solo road-tripping for me), I am reminded of Martin Sexton's song Freedom of the Road. I have already recounted my history and love for Martin in an earlier post so I'll simply leave this one short and sweet. It seems fitting that Martin makes an appearance twice in this blog, as it is symbolic of how frequently his music actually is a part of my life and playlists.

Day 24 - Mother & Child Reunion

This morning I woke up and Granny Shirley picked me up after breakfast. We prepared a little bit for an afternoon family party at her place, did some shopping and then we took a walk at the RBG to see the gardens and some new installations. Around 3:30, we were back at Shirley's house and people started arriving for the party. I enjoyed visiting with Sarah, Ray, and their new baby boy, Bryan. Later on Courtney, Paul, Luke, Dean, Jean arrived, followed by Rita and Nana.

Around 7:30pm Rita and Nana and I headed off to the airport to pick up Bonnie who was arriving from Seoul.

Today's musical selection is a beautiful song called The Mother & Child Reunion by Paul Simon. Growing up in Jamaica we were fortunate enough to have the musical gifts of people who would come to visit and bring us cassette tapes of new or popular music from Canada. Christine and I could get Michael Jackson, Billy Ocean, Whitney Houston and Madona at the local mixed music cassette recording shops, but it was people like Maxine who brought us The Proclaimers, David Linley and Paul Simon. We listened to the album Graceland a lot! In the MGB, at the Pink Cottage, at the White House, on the Stephanie Jane, at Martin's house, etc.

It turns out Paul Simon's influence on Jamaicans and Jamaican music wasn't limited to the Cahusac's and their visitors or friends listening to Graceland in their free time. Not quite. Check out this version of Mother & Child Reunion sung by Ziggy Marley and interestingly introduced by Chevy Chase... What a weird connection that is! Reminds me of the You Can Call Me Al video.

In my last year of living in Colombia, in the apartment in El Ingenio, I started listening to Paul Simon again quite a bit. It summoned a strong sense of nostalgia for me and I also began to explore a better appreciation for the African beats and rhythms. In the last 3 years I've continued to listen to Paul regularly and even reminded a few people I've met along the way just how much his music means to them. The song Slip Sliding Away became one of my top favorites during my OEE year and I think may have rubbed off on a couple people.

While more recently in Hong Kong, I have been listening to tracks like The Obvious Child and Bernadette more often. There really are, just so many, great songs by Paul Simon. It seems as though he can almost always be included in any playlist for any occasion.

Day 23 - I've Got Time

Bridgette, Ethan & Liane left for Hanover after a morning swim and some fun with the underwater camera. Rita, Nana and I had a nice curry dinner and afterwards Rita and I went for a long walk down by the lake.

Lazy, wonderful summer days spent with my family make me think of folk festivals and great Canadian music. A group that comes to mind for this day in particular, is Po'Girl. I first saw this all-girl band at Guelph Lake's Hillside Festival in 2005. Since then, they have evolved into a co-ed ensemble of Canadian Urban Roots Music. With a collection of so many great songs, it is hard to choose favorites. You can listen to some here on the CBC3 webpage.  I've Got Time is a song that comes to my mind for wonderful summer holiday days like this one in Ontario. Unfortunately I can't find a link to play this song for you. If anyone else can find it online (linkable or embed-able) then please let me know.

Day 22 - No Ha Parado De Llover

This morning it was pouring rain in Burlington which allowed me to have a most glorious sleep in. After breakfast and a bit of play time with Bridgette and Ethan, we went to the Burlington public library. Later we made a huge lunch and followed it up with a swim in the late afternoon.

This was a very mellow and relaxing day! Welcome recuperation :)

Today I was reminded of one of my most favorite Spanish love songs, No Ha Parado De Llover by Maná, a band I love to, love to, love to love.

Day 21 - 1234

I woke up in Burlington after a solid night's sleep and absolutely no symptoms of jet-lag. I was slightly amazed, but not surprised, by my body's ability to switch seamlessly into vacation mode after leaving Hong Kong. Work there, relax here. My brain and my body seemed to be obeying these commands and had become nicely adaptable and flexible to changes in what are more often routines, like bedtimes, meal times and duration of sleeps.

Lianne, Bridgette, Ethan, Rita, Nana and I took a fun trip on the GO train into Toronto to have lunch at the CN Tower. Here, I first ran into Mike Luciani, a teacher from CDNIS, with his family. Then after a scrumptious and entertaining lunch (the view of planes landing on Toronto Island was pretty cool) we ran into John D-Arcy, another CDNIS teacher. This made three fairly significant coincidences of people, time and place (within 48 hours). I joked that one more and I might need to hire and existential detective.

After lunch at the 360 restaurant, checking out the observatory and jumping on the glass floor, we headed over to Ontario Place for some afternoon fun in the sun. I should mention that I arrived in Ontario into the tail end of a major heat wave. It was muggy, sticky, soggy and stifling and I was in pure heaven! We played on the water slides and in the water park with the kids and then saw an iMax movie called Wild Ocean. With everyone happily exhausted we took a late train back to Burlington.

Today's song, 1234, is by a talented and beautiful Canadian artist, Feist. There is also a fun Sesame Street version. Check it out.

Day 20 - Take It Easy

Bruce picked me up early to take me to the airport with enough time for a visit and breakfast. It was another lovely day and the weather was really warming up in Vancouver. I figured this would be a good transition into the Onterrible July heat wave I'd been hearing about. Actually, I love the heat and the humidity and knowing that I’d have Aunty Rita’s pool to relax by reminded my that I’d be just fine in any temperature.

Onwards to Ontario: Part III of my summer holiday. A place to rest, recuperate and relax as much as possible. Taking It Easy.... We'll see how that goes!

Come on baby (baby)... Don't say maybe... I gotta know it your sweet love is gonna save me.
We may lose or we may win... but we will never here again...

Day 19 - Summer In The City

Bruce and I started the day off with a great hike though Lynn Valley. The weather was warming up fast and I enjoyed my first day of full summer heat. I finally took off Aaron’s huge sweater and managed to even sprawl out on the rocks in the river to soak up some rays in just shorts and a t-shirt. We also checked out the Lynn Cannon suspension bridge and then took a scenic route back into the city. People were OUT! The beaches were packed with sunbathers, kids, hacky-sackers and volleyball players. The streets were jammed with runners, bikers, bladders, boarders and strollers. What a great place in the summer time!

The song that most comes to mind for this day of increasing temperatures and people on the streets with summer enthusiasm is The Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City. A Summer Soundtrack just wouldn't be complete without it!

For dinner B & B decided on a great waterfront spot near False Creek. While waiting for a table I noticed  2 old friends, Lindsey and Andy, from Calvin Park (junior high!) in Kingston also waiting for a table. They live in Vancouver now and are engaged. Funny thing was that Lindsey had written on my FaceBook wall the day before, wishing me a happy birthday and mentioning that we should get together if I had extra time in Vancouver.  I knew that I wasn’t going to have any extra time, had thought about her a couple of times and planned to write her that evening. And there they were, in the same restaurant and the exact same time as us - crazy. We ended up being sat at tables beside each other on the patio and had a nice visit after all J What a small world it is! 

Day 18 - They Say It's Your Birthday!

Aaron went to work and I needed to return the rental car, so Bruce and Barb kindly offered to meet me at the closest Budget outlet. Turns out it was only for trucks and I needed to go even further out of our way into the heart of downtown to return the car. Frustrating! Then, after an hour of complications, a trip to the gas station, another misunderstanding and changes to my bill, we sorted out the final cost and left. It was $175 more than I expected. Not only was I disturbed by the sneakiness of the hidden charges, added fees and the lack of transparency at the time of rental, but I also wasted more than an hour of my time, plus B & B’s time, to sort it all out. Lesson learned = never rent from Budget!

The day got better with a great lunch on Granville Island, a bit of shopping for me at MEC, and a gorgeous dinner right on Kitsilano Beach at the Boat House. Finished with an ice-cream pie and lovely birthday wishes, I was happy to be in the company of great people on my birthday.

They Say It's Your Birthday

Day 15, 16 & 17 - Back To You

Today I'm dedicating a song to Aaron, for all the J. Mayer we used to love and listen to, once upon a time - Back To You

Aaron and I started the day off with a relaxing swim and a dip in the hot tub at the hotel. We followed that with eggs benny at a local bakery downtown and then we grabbed some groceries for the cooler. We explored a little bit of Victoria, unintentionally, and then headed off for a provincial park on the south-west coast called French Beach, just past the town of Sooke. The campsite that Aaron’s friends had already reserved and arrived at was beautiful. Canopied by massive evergreen trees and only a minutes walk to the windy beach. Even with the glorious sunshine, it was actually really cold!

Aaaron’s friend Lynn and her friends Andrea and Stewart were the most gracious hosts to us. For 2 straight days, from their fully equipped VW Westfalia, they offered us beer and snacks, cooked up full-course campfire menus of sausages, steaks, portabellas, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade Greek salad, provided fresh coffee in the mornings and sweet rum and cokes at cocktail hour. What rottenly spoiled campers we were! 

We hiked a bit in the days, and managed to check out an awesome section of the Juan de Fucca Trail near Parkinson's Beach on Saturday. Unfortunately Lynn had a little spill on some slippery rocks by the beach. Her knee immediately became swollen and hard for her to bear any weight upon it. Aaron put on his hero cape and began piggy-backing her out the 4 km or so of trail that we had started in on towards Botanical Beach. I began feeling a little useless and eventually I took off ahead with Lynn’s iPhone to look for a patch of service hoping to call Andrea and Stewart, or to flag down a ride/help from the main road. The main road was 6 km from the where we started the trail. An hour and a bit after leaving them behind I made it to the highway for my first experience of sticking my thumb out to oncoming traffic - alone. What ensued surprised me quite a bit. More than 20 cars passed me by! Two cars did stop, both with just an older male driver, who listened to my story/plea for help, but then weren’t interested in driving the 6 km off the highway, down to the tail-head, where I hoped that Lynn and Aaron had successfully made it to. My story must have seemed too strange or unlikely. Did they think it was some kind of trap or elaborate scam? Or did they just not feel comfortable going out of their way? They were both a little creepy and awkward, to be honest, so I was actually relieved to just let them continue on and hope for someone with a better vibe to stop and help out.

It was getting darker as the sun dipped below the tall tree-line and it was quite cold cold, I still couldn’t get reception on Lynn’s phone and I was beginning to worry about our situation. Luckily the next person to stop was a BC Parks employee, a portly and short grey-haired man with thick glasses and a gentle voice. He immediately wanted to help and started clearing out the junk and garbage that littered his front seat. The back of his little 4x4 was crammed to the inner roof with tools for doing yard work and repairs, back seats folded down with no room for passengers. He went on ahead to pick up Lynn and I waited by the highway thinking about maybe trying to hitch back to French Beach and get the rental car. Within a 15 minutes he returned with Lynn and Aaron, who had been making their way up the dirt road from the trail. We emptied out all of the Parks man's gear into the bushes on the side of the road and then Aaron and I piled to the back hatch on a spread of garbage bags. When we described our friends, Andrea and Stewart, who were waiting for us at Botanical Beach the parks worker responded with, “Oh the couple with the black dog and the VW camper?” Turns out he had just come form Botanical Beach where he had noticed them. On the way up the highway we stopped to see a black bear eating grass just 3 meters from the road. I was glad I hadn’t run into her on my solo hike!

That evening after a huge meal, Andrea and Stewart took Lynn into the hospital in Victoria and Aaron and I held down the fort at the French Beach campsite. Another cold night but this time with much better gear because Stewart and Andrea left us their mattresses and more blankets.

Sunday we packed up and caught an early ferry back to the mainland and took Lynn to the hospital in Vancouver. There, after an MRI at UBC (and the x-rays from Victoria), she was told that she had fractured her tibia and would need to be on crutches for 2 months! How awful and frustrating for her.

Later that night, Aaron and I had a great dinner on Commerical Drive, yummy Canadiana gastronomique (homemade pub burgers and pulled pork sandwiches with fresh cut french fries) and local BC micro brew beer, and then went out to briefly to socialize with some of his friends. 

Day 14 - Oh Canada! We Are More

I had one of those sleeps where you wake up every 30 minutes and check the time, in this case pawing around for my cell phone/alarm clock which was tossed carelessly amongst the crap pile beside the bed 30 minutes earlier. Each time I woke up it took me moment to figure out where I was and what the rhythmic knocking of the fan/air conditioner combo was. I guess I was nervous that I might sleep in and miss my flight, after having stayed up past 1:00 am booking more summer adventure flights between Bogota, Cartagena, Panama City, and Bocas Del Torro. By 7:20 am we were checked out of the Insadong love motel and waiting for an airport limousine bus.  On time.

It was a grey and hazy day in Seoul. So much of this holiday to South Korea was drizzly and cloudy. This will most likely be my last trip to South Korea and while it has become like a second home to me because of the Cahurphy clan, I don’t feel any degree of sadness about maybe never going back. Of course, I will miss the food! I need to find a city fix for Korean food in Hong Kong, of which I know there are some great spots, I’ve just never checked them out.

I landed in Hong Kong to amazingly sunny blue skies, vibrant green hills and clear air (for Hong Kong, anyways). I had the same feeling that I always have when I return to HK after any duration of time away, a feeling of attachment and goodness about being in a place that feels comfortably like home. I love that feeling and, generally in my life, I so rarely get to experience it.

I scrambled to re-check my bags with Air Canada and then took the airport express into Central with one mission: find 6 different coloured Dragon Ball wigs in the costume alley to send to Aaron in Vancouver. This was a special request that I agreed to a few days ago, because luckily I knew exactly where to get these and I figured a trip to Central would be a better way to spend the lay over than cooped up in the airport, especially once I saw the glorious day I had arrived to. Little did I know that July 1^st isn’t just Canada’s birthday, it’s also Hong Kong’s (handover) birthday. The streets were jam packed and the temperature + humidity was high and all the stores were closed! I had no idea. So instead I just enjoyed the view and the sunshine and the feeling of home.

After my 11 hour flight to Vancouver, Aaron met me at the airport where we picked up a rental car and headed immediately for the ferry. It was great to be in Canada, seeing Aaron for the first time in 2 years and off on an adventure right away. We stayed right on Vitoria’s waterfront and enjoyed a bottle of champagne right before the fireworks were set off from the front lawn of our hotel. Then we went out in the partying streets for dinner.

What a great way to celebrate both special holidays with a flight over the pacific, going against the time difference, allowing me to enjoy a super-extended 36 hour July 1st!

I landed in Vancouver on Canada's birthday listening to A Pretty Decent Cape In My Closet, by my very own super hero slam poet, Shane Koyczan, who millions watched in complete awe during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, when he performed We Are More. 

Day 13 - Chocolate & Cheese

A bright and early start with a goodbye pancake breakfast at the Cahurphy house in JinJu.

Then Ulrich and I took a 4-hour bus to Seoul and spent the night in an Insadong love motel. We strolled along the river, went up to the top of the Seoul Tower and ate some Korean (street) food. We were thrilled to find a bottle of Chocolate Sparkling Water and Ulrich bought some dried squid. Hmmmmmm. Strange indeed.

This makes me think of other weird food combinations, like Peanut Butter and Onions, Bacon and Icecream, or Chocolate and Cheese. This, of course, immediately makes me think of being 16 years-old listening to Ween CDs in Johannes' basement with Alyssa and Fraser. So here's a (pretty weird, especially if you don't know Ween) trip back down memory lane, The Roses Are Free, from Ween's Chocolate & Cheese album.

Day 12 - Carolina In My Mind

Another lazy day in JinJu under cloudy skies. A afternoon hike in the mountains with Ulrich. Rice pizza and nibbles with Kyeongmi, Bonnie and Christine in the evening. Not much else to report.

Today's song is Carolina In My Mind  because I just love this song lately! And come on, who doesn't love at least one James Taylor song? Right? This one song particularly helps me relax lately, reminding me that holidays are here and should be taken advantage of, each and every second.

How Sweet It Is!

Fire & Rain will forever remind me of listening to vinyl at 2 Pine Street in the 90's. James Taylor and Meatloaf, but hey, that's another post!

Earlier this year when my principal, Alan Dick, passed away unexpectedly, I made a personal tribute to him with my absolute all-time favorite James Taylor song Close Your Eyes.

Day 11 - Isn't This A Lovely Day?

A wonderfully lazy, cozy, rainy Monday in JinJu with the ones I love.... How about a love song for lovely day in the rain!
Isn't This A Lovely Day?  by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (1956)
The weather is fright'ning
The thunder and lightning
Seem to be having their way
But as far as I'm concerned, it's a lovely day
The turn in the weather
Will keep us together
So I can honestly say
That as far as I'm concerned, it's a lovely day
And everything's O.K.

Isn't this a lovely day
To be caught in the rain?
You were going on your way
Now you've got to remain

Just as you were going, leaving me all at sea
The clouds broke, they broke and oh!
What a break for me

I can see the sun up high
Tho' we're caught in the storm
I can see where you and I
Could be cozy and warm

Let the rain pitter patter
But it really doesn't matter
If the skies are gray
Long as I can be with you it's a lovely day

Day 10 - The Wind

We woke up late and were pleasantly surprised to see the rain had tapered off, some bands of blue sky were thinning out the dark and heavy clouds which were still hanging low over the town on GyeongJu. After breakfast we walked to the grocery store and continued on the bus station to locate the bus that would take us up the mountain road for a hike. After an afternoon walk up to the big stone carved Buddha, the temple, the peak lookout and along the ridge, Ulrich and I ended up at a small park where we found a bus back to meet the others. We all managed to get ourselves organized and onto on the 5pm bus back to JinJu City.

Today made me think of Cat Stevens' song        The Wind. I've listened to Cat Stevens my entire life and always find that there's a song by him which fits with almost any occasion.  Just a week ago when we were in Seoul, I titled a blog entry with Where do the Children Play, which was one of my first Cat Stevens favorites when I was a kid. In my teenage years I couldn't get enough of Father & Son which connects me to fond memories of RKY camp and Moonshadow, which will always make me think of my dear friend Alyssa. As an adult I have had an awesome love affair with Oh Very Young and Peace Train. There are so many more too! Cat Stevens is just wonderful.

Day 9 - Caught in the Rain

After a full night of rain and very little sleep I pulled myself out of bed to make the descision about weekend plans. Rohanna had been suffering from a cough that seemed to be growing worse and the continually rainy 4-day forecast would be a damper on the plans to head to the mountains and explore the national parks around GyeongJu for Sat. & Sun. It was very warm despite the rain and with a spirit of adventure, to my delight, everyone agreed to head off anyways. I had to pick up Ulrich along the way at Gimhae airport so I headed off on my own to Masan City while the rest of the crew headed straight for GyeongJu to settle into a guesthouse Bonnie had reserved. My route ended up being traffic-heavy with multiple with accidents caused by people who don't drive/know how to drive properly in rain. I made it to Gimhae with a few minutes to spare and Ulrich and I made it to GyeongJu by dinner time.

We stayed in a very rustic, traditional guesthouse named  Sa Rang Chae with a garden common area and very friendly hosts. The rooms were small with beautiful handmade wallpaper and intricate woodworked doors and entranceways. We slept on a traditional Korean bed called a yo, which is basically a mat on the floor, which luckily for me I find really comfortable.

Today's song, Caught in the Rain by Martin Sexton is the only thing that came to mind to describe my day. Memories of falling in love with Martin Sexton's music are so various and fun to remember. I first heard of him in my last year of University because a dear friend and roommate, Toby, introduced me to Glory Bound after seeing him live at the River Run center in Guelph. Memories of that year include us listening to, among other things, his studio recorded stuff on week nights when we were studying, weekends when we were socializing or getting ready to go out and Sunday afternoons when we were recovering.

After graduation, I carried my adoration of Martin Sexton to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in the summer of 2003 but couldn't get many people excited about it. I almost never took that CD out of the stereo and I would sing my heart out when nobody else was home. I shared my passion with a couple of people who appreciated it and even met the odd person here and there who had heard of him. That summer we went to the Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso and I learned that Martin Sexton had played there the year before. There were still people talking about the amazing performance he gave and someone even did a little tribute to him, singing Black Sheep which I watched in utter glee. I had never hear anyone else sing a Martin Sexton song live. Bonnie was visiting at the time and I remember after the festival, making her a recorded cassette of all the Martin Sexton music I had for her to take back to Colombia with her. Later on in Colombia she introduced it to Jonathan and Christine.

Jason and I moved to the Cayman Islands and Martin was lost in the transition. When we returned to Canada after hurricane Ivan, Jonathan sang Glory Bound one day while I was at their apartment in Toronto and I was again mesmerized to hear a live rendition of one of his songs. In the fall of 2004, Jason and I moved back to Nova Scotia and I rediscovered the songs that I had briefly forgotten about and began listening to the old CDs again.

When I moved to Colombia, early in 2005, I found the cassette tape at Bonnie's house and introduced Aaron to the wonder of Mr. Sexton's incredible talents. I knew instantly that I had found someone who would appreciate the music the same way that I did. The cassette tape didn't leave that stereo for months and months. We would listen to it while drinking wine and playing chess, cooking and hosting dinners and for lazy Sunday morning coffees on the porch. I remember our delight when we found this little gem, a dance medley set to the song Diner, when we were into watching the TV show Scrubs. Eventually, though, Martin was replaced by John and Jack and we listened to Martin less and less. In the summer of 2006, Bonnie and Christine were able to make it out to a small bar in Toronto to see Martin Sexton live. I was in Vancouver at the time, green with envy and I realized that it was starting to feel as though I'd never be so lucky as to catch a live show with my idol.

When we were getting ready to leave Colombia permanently in the summer or 2007, Aaron was compiling some music to share with me as we embarked on separate journeys and he downloaded multiple live show sets for my growing Martin Sexton collection. My enthusiasm was rekindled and further bolstered upon returning to Canada when I discovered that he was on the lineup for Hillside Music Festival and I already had weekend tickets! Finally, my time had come. I enjoyed his headlining act on the Saturday night with Rita and finally had my chance to admire his amazing vocal improvisation and singing ability from only few meters away.

Since then, Martin remains a predominant feature in almost all of my playlists and will always remain a favorite for almost any occasion. For a taste, a couple of great songs include, Angeline, Freedom of the Road, and Hallelujah, if you're interested it checking him out.

Day 7 & 8 - Lively Up Yourself

After spending the beginning of the week in JinJu City, Bonnie and I kidnapped Rohanna for an excursion to the beach. We hit the road on a bus for Nam Hae Island which is on the southern coast, just about an hour from JinJu. From here we took a taxi to the cute little community of SangJu Beach. This is the same place where we celebrated by birthday exactly 2 years ago. The whole Cahurphy clan had been there just a few weeks ago on a hot weekend in May.

We checked into a little motel room with a balcony that looked directly out over the pines that lined the beach. Within minutes of arriving we were beach-clad and scampering towards the surf. There weren't very many people around, just a handful of foreigners, a few other families and some teenagers playing soccer in the sand. Rohanna happily came quite far out into the water with me, to my utter delight. It had been such a long time since I had been swimming in the ocean (Hong Kong just doesn't seem to count!) and I was as happy as a fish. Anyone who knows me well, knows my favorite place on Earth is in the ocean. I still have such cherished memories of growing up in Jamaica and being an island kid. When summer begins, no matter where I am in the world, little things will often remind me of times spent playing on the golden beaches of MoBay, sailing and being out on the turquoise water listening to roots reggae like Bob Marley and the blazing Caribbean sunshine.

We played for a while in the evening sun until Rohanna's lips turned purple and then we lured her back to the hotel with promises of a bubble bath! Big bath tubs aren't very common in South Korea (in Asia, for that matter), so this really was a treat. So much so, that I didn't want to miss out on the fun as well.



After an exciting day we found a little restaurant to enjoy my absolute summer favorite, naengmyeon,  Korean cold buckwheat noodles served in a bowl of ice with slices of pear, cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, vinegar and hot mustard. Yummmmmy!

An early night to bed and and early morning to rise (5:30 for Rohanna and Abba!), but unfortunately the sun didn't rise to a clear sky as we had hoped. There were low clouds hanging heavy with potential rain and a cooler breeze along the beach. At 8 o'clock Rohanna and Abba forced me out of my slumber and we headed to the beach anyways. We played for a while, until we realized that the grey weather wasn't going to change, and then we packed up and headed home to JinJu.

Day 6 - Waka Waka: This Time For Africa

There is World Cup fever in South Korea and what an experience it is to see the excitement during a game! Last night I stayed awake until 3am, at which point I went to meet Kyeongmi, Jaehyeok, Yuseong and Woods to go out and watch the South Korea vs. Nigeria game which would determine who stays and who goes in the standings. The streets at 3am, even in sleepy 'ol JinJu, were full of people all dressed in red, adorning flashing devil horns, tattoos on their faces and draped in flags. 

The game was an exciting one, with Korea trailing by one goal for most of the 90 minutes of play time. Luckily the game ended with a score of 2:2, and because of Korea's previous win, this means that Korea advances and Nigeria doesn't. It was a happy ending as the bars let out to the streets filled with thousands of happy, drunk and tired people cheering and chanting in the dawn-lit streets of the University neighbourhood we were in.

South Koreans received world-wide recognition during the 2002 FIFA Wold Cup when Korea and Japan co-hosted the event and made it further in the standings than anyone expected. At this time the country went into full-fledged patriotic supportive celebration during each game. People created huge crowds throughout the country, watching games on big outdoor screens and having massive street parties. During that year's Wolrd Cup chants and shouts became the theme songs of the world cup enthusiasm and can now be heard everywhere here! People mostly chant Daehan-minguk!! (followed by a series of 5 claps) which translates to the traditional world for Korea.

Just before coming to South Korea while wrapping up the year at school, the students in the Eagle Nest would get excited about our days by beginning them with a little dance party. On many mornings we danced around the room to the FIFA World Cup theme song, Waka Waka (This Time For Africa). We all liked this song for numerous reasons - it's extremely catchy, it's fun to dance like Shakira (and they know I like her), there is an awesome video of African animals playing with a soccer ball and people doing the "soccer dance" which the kids go crazy over, and it's just a fun and happy way to spend 3:31.

After reading some fairly heavy criticism of the song, especially because it's not sung by a South African, I wanted to learn more about its roots. I should also point out that if you're into watching the videos and enjoying the song for yourself, the Spanish version is so much more beautiful than the English (and true for most of Shakira's songs). It is obvious that the song had African inspiration and quite possibly an interesting history, so I went about YouTube to learn what I could about this. I found out that Shakira did indeed collaborate with a current South African group called Freshly Ground to create this new hit single, but it's the Cameroonian roots of the song that I found much more interesting. The chorus of the song is borrowed from a huge 1986 hit called "Zangaléwa" by amakossa group called Golden Sounds. Apparently, this song was brought to Cartagena, Colombia by West African DJs between 1988 and 1989 and likewise became an instant hit along the Caribbean coast where Shakira was born and raised. In Colombia, the song was known as "The Military" due to the photograph on the cover of the album, where members of The Golden Sounds appeared dressed in military uniforms. 

Here is some additional information about the history of the song Zangaléwa, and its military influence taken from:
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-History-of-the-Official-World-Cup-Song-Waka-Waka

The original version was such a hit that the group, Golden Sounds, even changed their name to Zangaléwa. Golden Sounds was made up of members of the Presidential Guard: Emile Kojidie, Victor Dooh Belley and group leader Ze Bella. They wore funny costumes and make up - including pillows to accentuate their butts and bellies - which was apparently a stab at the army general "fat cats" who collaborated with the white colonialists to enrich themselves.
The band was well-known and produced army marching songs that became very popular. Zangaléwa, in particular, was their defining song. According to the Spanish wikipedia entry: "This song is a priori language interpreted Fang, corresponding to areas of Gabon, southern Cameroon in Equatorial Guinea and a little east of the Central Africa."
The argument goes that "Za engalomwa" in the Fang language means “Who sent you?” and this is the refrain of a Cameroonian soldier to his fellow troops. The term Zangaléwa has also come from an expression in Ewondo: "Loé wa za anga?" translated as “Who called you?” Since Cameroon is multilingual and not all the soldiers could speak Ewondo, it is likely that over time the term wa za anga Loé became the Zangaléwa that we know today in a form of pidgin language corruption.
According to a member of the band, when young recruits of the Republican Guard complained about the rigours of military life, their senior officers would ask: Loé wa za anga?, which would ask: "Who made you join the army?"


I find the valiant soldier fighting in a war metaphor quite interesting. Around the world it is used to represent passion, determination and endurance.  It can also be used more generally to symbolize hard work and dedication. We see in sports, religion, music and movies. To me it seems like such a poor choice of symbolism, one which distorts and glorifies perceptions of military and war. Isn't it time to create a new vision of the honourable fighter?

Day 5 - I'm Yours

When I hear this song, I know that I love it. It makes me feel good, in the same way that all reggae beats so perfectly mimic the complimentary mother/baby heartbeat rhythms that soothe our souls and calm our minds.

When I first listened carefully to the lyrics, however, I thought they were lame. I wanted them to somehow be more meaningful and more artistically chosen/written. I wanted to love the significance of the song as much as I loved the sound of it. I didn't know anything about Jason Mraz, besides the assumption that he was a commercially driven, superficial American surfer dude whose catchy one-hit-wonder could be heard everywhere, from drifting across cottage country patios in Canadian summer to beachside backpacker huts year-round in Thailand, above the partying crowds of LKF in Hong Kong on a Friday night to the sterile daytime shopping malls of the world.

About as often as I think about what clothes I am wearing, I am reminded that my assumptions are rarely accurate. Today I learned that there is much more substance to the musician and to the song than I had previously realized. Turns out that Jason Mraz is real, self-actualized and intentional in his lifestyle. He spends his time on interesting and important projects like Free the Children, working with child slaves in Ghana, inspiring kids to appreciate the outdoors on Sesame St., eating raw food, gardening, raising cats (?) and taking care of his avocado farm in San Diego. He also devotes his time to raising musical awareness and preservation. All of this among many other things, I am sure, make Jason Mraz interesting.

Seeing the video for "I'm Yours" and absorbing the words in a different way, struck so many chords with me about my life right now. Setting out. Taking off. Believing that everything is going to be ok. Being open. Moving on. Hope. Making the most of each and every moment. Being free. Trust. Moments of self-realization, self-empowerment and self-improvement. Traveling. Leaving. Arriving. Making choices instead of plans. Love, Love, Love.

I'm Yours.



Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks, now I'm tryin to get back
before the cool done run out I'll be givin it my best test
and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some
But I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait
I'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love
listen to the music at the moment people dance and sing
Were just one big family
And it's our godforsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved
So, i won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait i'm sure
there's no need to complicate our time is short, this is our fate
I'm yours
I've been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror
and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
and so I drew a new face and I laughed
I guess what I'd be sayin' is there ain't no better reason
to rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
it's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue
But I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait
I'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours...

Day 4 - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Bonnie has been sharing her love of Mary Poppins with Rohanna lately. As a result Rohanna can sing lengthy excerpts from the songs as well as explain what happens in most scenes with supreme excitement and exaggerated British pronunciation. Jonathan and I joke that we've never actually seen the movie on-screen, but after just 30 minutes in a taxi or bus with Rohanna and Bonnie, we already feel as though we have.

As a 2 year-old, Rohanna has been testing her reaction to not getting her way and occasionally bursts into tears when she can't have the little things she wants. Although patiently trying to explain to her that sometimes things aren't worth an outburst and that we must think carefully about why we are upset seems to work quite often, sometimes there's just no way to reason with her. Bonnie and Rohanna recently made a deal that whenever Rohanna is upset unjustifiably, Bonnie will say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious to remind Rohanna there is not real reason to be crying. Bonnie tested out the strategy this morning when Rohanna cried because we wouldn't let her run the water hose outside her kiddie pool, wasting water on the ground. Bonnie had to say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious about 10 times, but it actually worked quite well to calm her down and stop the tears. About 10 minutes later, on the way to the children's library, Bonnnie asked Rohanna if this strategy of saying Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious worked well and Rohanna replied with confidence, "Yes Abba!" Bonnie then asked her to explain why and Rohanna told us that, "... the word Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious makes me so happy!"

At the library Rohanna gave me a complete tour, showed me many books that she knows by heart, creatively made up titles to the unknown ones and used her very own library card to take out 3 new books. Then we went to Yofruto for frozen yogurt before meeting Momma and having a yummy Korean lunch. After Rohanna's afternoon nap at Abba's house, she woke up and wanted to show me Mary Poppins and so we turned it on in the background. She is particularly fond of the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious song. Indupedibly.

Day 3 - Where Do The Children Play?

For a Sunday in Seoul, we decided to check out the Seoul Children's Grand Park (Oerini Dae Gung Won). We entered the park through a traditional Korean gate to beautiful colours of flowers and natural scenery. There were huge Ginkos, fountains, ponds and gentle music echoing from the distance.

First we visited the "Roots Garden" and investigated fungi and root ecosystems and then through the "Korean Myths" area which was a surprisingly selva park area. We all commented repeatedly on how much more organic and peaceful this park was compared to Lotte World. This park is entirely free to the public. Eventually we found ourselves at the children's outdoor water play area, which was refreshingly created to exemplify a natural outdoor stream. Instead of bright colours, padded platforms and plastic contraptions, there were large boulders for climbing on and creating swirling, rushing water and granite stone tiles under the stream. Next was the outdoor jungle gym with slides and rope climbers and rock walls. Rohanna was on non-stop, full-speed. After lunch we strolled through the zoo area and Rohanna and Bonnie went for a very exciting wobbly camel ride. Rohanna then rode solo on a white miniature pony. We saw some stunning wild cats at the "Ferocious Animal" section of the park before Rohanna crashed out for her afternoon nap. At this point we decided to head out of the park and upon figuring out the nearest exit, we realized that we had seen approximately one fifth of what there was to do! On the way out we passed amusement rides and huge stages, a performing arts center and more and more indoor recreational buildings. What a fantastic place and all of this is FREE!



The park was once the largest amusement park in all of Asia. Previously a golf course, it was transformed into the Grand Children's Park in 1973 by the Korean government as a symbol of Korea's belief in the importance of children. It truly is a beautifully rich place to spend a day (especially if you're not rich!).

It was a long 1 hour taxi ride back to the hotel to gather our belongings and then continue on to the bus terminal where we boarded a bus to JinJu. Just over four hours later we arrived at home and Christine cooked us a great dinner. We were tuckered, but had enjoyed a spectacular and free day of fun in Seoul.

Day 2 - Fighting Korea 승리의 함성

We all woke up early and headed to Insadong where Christine had to do some things for her Australian working visa application. We toured around in the grey city for the morning with threateningly stormy weather, before heading back to the hotel for a midday nap.

For weeks, people adorned with the patriotic 'red shits' have been demonstrating their enthusiasm for the Korean Soccer team competing in the FIFA 2010 World Cup. We might even watch the next game on a big screen in the park at 3am on Wednesday morning! The hype can be seen in various videos on YouTube showing street flash-mobs, concerts, custom-made music videos with famous Korean singers creating medleys including the catchy Fighting Korea chant.

In the early afternoon we headed to Lotte World which is described on wikipedia as, "... a major recreation complex in Seoul, South Korea. It consists of the world's largest indoor theme park that set a Guinness World Record open all year around,^[1] an outdoor amusement park called "Magic Island", an artificial island inside a lake linked by monorail, shopping malls, a luxury hotel, a Korean folk museum, sports facilities, and movie theaters all in one place."  Rohanna was happily amused to explore this venue full of large stuffed characters like Lotty & Lori, restaurants and snack huts, rides designed for very small and fearless children as well an outdoor stage with enthusiastic performers willing to entertain all kinds of crowds. Here we had the most fun. First hip-hop dancers and then a Filipino cover band who liked to pull people up on stage! They eventually noticed Rohanna's strawberry curls and beaming smile and beckoned her to the stage. Unluckily Tia was the one holding her at the time and therefore had to face the crowd and answer the MCs questions. Rohanna held on to my arms for dear life, squeezing my waist with her legs as the MC asked us where we were from and what Rohanna's name was. Too shy to even say kamsamnida or accept the free CD gift, Rohanna remained frozen by the spot lights. When we got down from the stage, a smile and the natural colour returned to her face. "Was that scary, Hanna?" I asked gently. "Yes," she replied quietly with watery eyes and a fierce tone of seriousness.

After leaving the park and while approaching the taxi stand we saw a street vendor selling all sizes of the 'red shirt' in a soccer jersey style. We picked one up for little Miss Korea and then headed home to the hotel, with Hanna singing Marry Poppins songs along the way.

Day 1 - Late for the Sky

After a very emotional week of moving out of my little SoHo den (a place that has been monumentally comforting to me during my solo experiences for the past 2 years), moving classrooms, pushing little Eagle chicks out of the nest and saying both permanent and temporary goodbyes to many people, I was off to HK International Airport to start my summer holiday. No, I wasn't late for my flight, as the Jackson Browne title may suggest, but if you know the song then you might understand the reference to important conversations and times in your life when things are about to change.

Around 3:15 I boarded a Thai Airways flight to Seoul where Bonnie and Rohana were en route to pick me up. I arrived with memories of my first time landing at Incheon Airport, 8 days more than 2 years ago exactly. That was my first taste of Aisa and the beginning of a huge transition in my life.

After a quick bite to eat at the airport we bussed into the city to a small hotel on the south side of the river in Gangnam. Christine and Jonathan had left JinJu after work and would arrive within a few hours.