There is more than 50 miles of beaches that ring the small island of Kaua’i.More than 400 inches of rain fall each year, giving it the name, “the Garden Island”. Rainbows. Rainforests. Whales. Waterfalls. Kaua’iis one of my favorite Hawaiian Islands.
I think what I really love is the overall tropical feel. The warm, humid air, that gives your skin a healthy glow, the lush sugar cane that grows along the narrow roads, the light turquoise waters… the way time slows down and nothing else really matters.
I have been loving my hotel, the Marriot Beach Resort situated in a beautiful bay that lets in just enough swell for some longboarding but is calm enough for standup paddleboarding. The hotel’s décor is gorgeous, a bit colonial, a bit classic Hawaiian. Between the coy fish pond, the winding garden paths through red ginger, bird of paradise and plumeria, and the gorgeous beach out front, this hotel is highly recommended!
I first started traveling when I was 2. We were living in Germany on a teaching exchange, and summers and holidays were spent exploring the nearby countries, all literally a hop, skip and a jump away. So at 2, I had my first taste of a foreign country, one with exotic tastes, sounds and languages. I remember watching some children playing in an alley, dark hair and skin, staring at my white head of hair, eventually getting up the nerve to come over and feel it with hesitating hands and big smiles. That was my first memory of Turkey. I think. I remember eating a pretzel at a carnival. There was a parade and everyone was wearing elaborate masks and costumes. I was horrified when they "kidnapped" my mother and put her in a wooden cage. That was my first Octoberfest. Years later, driving through a windy, mountain road in Guatemala, we passed some villagers, wearing beautiful woven dress and bare feet, laden with wood for their fires. We pulled over and offered some food. I remember huge smiles of white teeth against dark skin, cookies in their pockets and overflowing in their arms. I remember their gratitude. I remember a million different markets, where we experienced the heart of the city and its people. I remember hiking active volcanoes, through jungles and deserts, over mountains and behind waterfalls. I explored at least a dozen countries before I was 10, having countless amazing experiences that have ultimately shaped who I am today. For this I can thank my parents. Through these travels they showed me gratitude, respect, appreciation, awareness, love and courage in a way that just can’t be taught in schools. Later in life, when I began to choose where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do… I found that I still sought out those windy roads and alleys. Even now, I yearn for an adventure. I crave new tastes and sights. My heart jumps just at the idea of turning a corner I’ve never been, driving a road I’ve never driven. I love the rugged, I love the refined, but mostly, I love the real. It is in those moments, of exploration, of sharing, of experiencing a culture and its people, of the unknown… where I feel free.
This past week I was in Victoria and had the pleasure of hanging out with some friends I knew from back home. Over the years they have done some amazing things, one of the most recent being launching a produce market, called the Rootcellar, that is doing better than they imagined, with over 55 employees after only a year. In my opinion, though, their greatest accomplishments go by the names Tai, Raine and Diem. What beautiful boys. Tai has eyes and a smile that you know are going to break millions of hearts in his lifetime. Raine has the funniest personality and is an entertainer in the making. And Diem, the cutest little man, already fiercely independent, just wanting to be one of the boys...
The lighting was so spectacular and the boys so much fun, I could have played and photographed them for hours! Hopefully I will get another chance soon. Adam and Daisy, you are a gorgeous family! Much love...
There's something about Lake life. It's a different tempo than ocean life. A tranquility and serenity only found around calm waters. Christina Lake is considered the warmest tree-lined lake in BC. Most of the lake is boat-access only and it has stayed a small town that swells in the summers with the influx of tourists, campers and summer residents. My favorite is early in the morning, before most people have woken from their holiday slumber. Bird calls echo across the lake, the sun shines through an early morning mist that hovers above the glassy water... and you savor this moment because you know it is about to erupt into another day of speedboats pulling every sort of sporting equipment out there, with cheers and laughter and sqeals, music blaring, dodging the kayakers and canoes that brave the waters. This scene, these sounds, from quiet to chaotic, is summer holidays at it's best.
I told myself I wasn't going to blog while on holiday, but it's just so darn beautiful!
The Okanagan Valley is considered Canada's only true desert. Sun-drenched vineyards and orchards nestle in the valley surrounding the lakes. The ideal location for golfing, water skiing and wine tasting all in one day. But for me, it's more than that. Because I grew up in this climate, it makes me feel like home. A deep breathe takes me back to hot summer days by the river, the water down to a slow flow, but still holding its emerald green. It might be the smell of the sagebrush, now brown and dry. Or the sap seeping from the willlows. It might be the hot sun heating the tar on the roads. It might be the sweetness escaping the peaches and cherries, now ripe and full. Or maybe its the crickets in the late summer evening, the rocking of a swing on a front porch. It might be the breeze, still hot with the desert air, blowing the white cotton from the poplars, dancing them down the quiet roads. Perhaps it's the smell of freshly mown grass, or the waft of a bbq from down the alley. Whatever it may be, I feel a pang of homesickness and in that breathe, remember a million moments spent in the desert heat throughout my childhood.
Here are a few desert blooms from last week's venture. Lavender... my favorite.
It's been a four year project for Vancouver-based artist, Pamela Masik. Painting the faces of the 69 Missing Women from Vancouver's Eastside has proven to be a massive undertaking: emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually. Nearing completion, the collection has been picked up by a major public institution (which will be officially announced next week at the fundraiser).
Working alongside Pamela in the studio photographing the process has been an experience unto itself. Seeing the faces emerge from the canvases, their stories and their pain evident. It is a powerful feeling, working amongst the women as they follow you through the studio. At first, it is intimidating, but over the years, their faces become familiar, they become friends, and you see something other than just pain in their eyes. In Pamela's face, I see pain, too. I see exhaustion. I see her spirit waxing and waning like the moon. She pours herself into their stories, lending her own voice in their silence. When she finishes a portrait, I sense a completion within her, as if she herself has somehow been healed in the process. I also see worry about the project being misunderstood... her plight, her intentions. But like any artist, she knows that in putting it out there, she is at risk for speculation, misinterpretation, and judgement. She is driven to tell their story; theirs and millions of other women marginalized in societal structures, made dependent and disillusioned about their own power and self-worth.
In addition to the paintings, she has started an Arts Program for the Union Gospel Mission in the Downtown Eastside. This program is designed with the friends of 'The Forgotten' in mind.
At the fundraiser, Pamela will unveil 'Mona', the first from the Forgotten Series as well as showcase new paintings from the 'Prodigy Child' series as well as dreamy abstracts with 50% of the proceeds going towards the new Art Program.
If you are interested in attending the event, please rsvp to info.masik@gmail.com as there is limited capacity. 6-8pm. June 23rd, 2009. 32 Water Street, Gastown, Vancouver.
