Hunting For The Navel!

up and running...

2007-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

ok... so its only a month away till i get on another plane... and this time head to Tibet and India for 2 months.

and yes... i will be more pro active with writing than i have been of late...

im really excited about my little adventure. and alittle nervous as well... there are alot to think about when you go to tibet... especially the altitude.
but well see what happens when we get there.

also... on the home front im starting up another little company with my friend Tom so watch this space for more info on that...

well till then...

love and pixie dust.

weeeeeeee!

2007-08-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

some days you just gotta spread your wings and fly!

on a roll...

2007-08-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

ah... life. its a funny thing. always changing, never boring, and even kinda humorous if you dont take it too seriously.... it will all come out in the wash. just sometimes you need to add bleach.

another of my fav poets right now... the german Rilke, enjoy.

As Once The Winged Energy - Rainer Maria Rilke
As once the winged energy of delight
carried you over childhood's dark abysses,
now beyond your own life build the great
arch of unimagined bridges.

Wonders happen if we can succeed
in passing through the harshest danger;
but only in a bright and purely granted
achievement can we realize the wonder.

To work with Things in the indescribable
relationship is not too hard for us;
the pattern grows more intricate and subtle,
and being swept along is not enough.

Take your practiced powers and stretch them out
until they span the chasm between two
contradictions... For the god wants
to know himself in you.

any other way

2007-07-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

read it twice and breathe it in, anything less is but a sin...

XVII - Neruda

I dont love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
i love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

i love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

i love you without knowing how, or when, or from
where,
i love you simply, without problems or pride:
i love you in this way becuase i dont know any other
way of loving

but this, in which there is no i or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when i fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

love and pixie dust.

amma-zing

2007-07-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

well hello. just a note before i drift off to sleep to give you a very brief update on my time in toronto.
have spent the last 3 days at the retreat with Amma. and omg... basically its unsayable. if you have never experianced her then there are no words that i can say to express the experiance of having darshan (blessings in the form of amma hugs.) every day. and if you have been to a retreat with her you will not need me to explain it for you. amma-zing!

having this experiance with Anandashakti (my teacher) has been the icing on the cake. so rare for me to get time one-on-one with her, and in such a candid way.

it has to be said though... that sometimes the energy of being around amma is so intense, that i find myself looking forward to retreating back to vancouver to my bed, and familiar surroundings and friends.

tomorrow is devi bhava. really looking forward to it. its going to be wild.

in short... yum. so blessed. so blown wide open. so tired. so grateful.

nite nite

love and pixie dust.

tarono

2007-07-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

yip. im back here ... again. toronto... for those who arnt in line with the "lingo".

the city is the same as it was when i lived here. and nothing really to right home about - just makes me appreciate vancouver all the more. i have enjoyed however seeing more than just asian and pakehas on the subway though... thats the thing i love about toronto... its multi culturalism. its great... and some of the best restaurants showcasing some of the best food from around the world. the other thing i love about here is the wonderful network of friends that just rock my world! oh its good to see them again...

yesterday (my first day here) i had lunch with my lawyer and then tea with my accountant. fun vacation eh? yip! thats me. then had a lovely dinner with my ex. no other way to put that one... it was lovely though...

today has been hot and adey (my best friend here... my inspiration... and my rolo partner in crime - rolo icecreams that is...) and i have been playing with asana for a couple of hours. working shit that we have no business doing. hehehehehe

then tonight i am goign to dinner with the illusive and ever wonderful amos beechwill. also known as MB.

really really really (have i said really?) looking forard to the Amma retreat on friday for the weekend.... ah... ma.... yum yum yum.

will write again soon....

love and pixie dust.

ps. got my hair cut today... :o)

smell me

2007-07-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

a while ago i started to theme my classes... what does love taste like? look like? feel like? sound like, and smell like... my answers to those questions are somewhat private...
but recently i came across a poem that made my toes curl. i like it when my toes curl. so i thought i would share it with you..

THE CINNAMON PEELER by Michael Ondaatje
If I were a cinnamon peeler
I would ride your bed
and leave the yellow bark dust
on your pillow.

Your breasts and shoulders would reek
you could never walk through markets
without the profession of my fingers
floating over you.

The blind would
stumble certain of whom they approached
though you might bathe
under rain gutters, monsoon.

Here on the upper thigh
at this smooth pasture
neighbor to your hair
or the crease
that cuts your back. This ankle.
You will be known among strangers
as the cinnamon peeler's wife.

I could hardly glance at you
before marriage
never touch you--
your keen nosed mother,
your rough brothers.
I buried my hands
in saffron, disguised themover smoking tar,
helped the honey gatherers...

When we swam once
I touched you in water
and our bodies remained free,
you could hold me and be blind of smell.
You climbed the bank and said
this is how you touch other women
the grasscutter's wife, the lime burner's daughter.
And you searched your arms
for the missing perfume.
and knew
what good is it
to be the lime burner's daughter
left with no trace
as if not spoken to in an act of love
as if wounded without the pleasure of scar.

You touched
your belly to my hands
in the dry air and said
I am the cinnamon peeler's wife. Smell me.

creative juices flow...

2007-07-05T09:44:00.001-07:00

namaste!

so the creative juices have been flowing of late. in part as a way to process some shamanic ceremonies i have attended, and in part because thats just how i am and what i do...

so i thought i would put a couple up for you as a way to share the love.

firstly is a painting about 10in square, inspired by a desire to embrace beauty, connection and The Beloved, through a beloved...

the words you can see in the backround are for me to know and you to wonder about. its kinda like at the end of "lost in translation" where bill murray wispers something in the girls ear... and your forever wondering if it was words of love, or a joke about the camera guy...

the next painting (6 x 14in) and poem/s were inspired by a "work" peruvian shamanic ceremony last week. when i say "work" i dont mean getting paid... i mean going really deep in meditation to explore parts of yourself that you have never dared go to before. sometimes its scary, sometimes its esctacy its its purest form. somes... its unsayable. this work however i was very blessed in that i was given words to share... and this is what came...

My Beloved.

in the wee small hours when im paralized with fear,
and the sense of separation is too much to bare,
you kneel before me to sing me a lullaby,
and balm me with fragrance as i start to cry,
my tears are of longing yet gratitude too,
as i come to the comfort
that i am you.

*****
Expectations

How do i teach you when you already know the answers?
you are the answers,
its as though you are the rain wanting to experiance being wet,
fire,
urning to experiance the intracacies of heat,
you are already what you seek

follow me
or dont
for i love you anyway
for you ARE me
and i am love

whether resistance or surrender speaks from you today
offer it to me
with trust
gratitude
and breath
for all experiance is but play.

******
root to rise
let me step so lightly on the earth,
that the grass beneath my feet,
is unaware of the burden it bares.

love and pixie dust...

ps. oh and lastly... i released an album this week... its a surya namaskara (sun salutations album) in the next month or so you will be able to buy it from itunes and audible.com you can also get a physical copy from me... just email me at info@puraluna.com ciao!

i give new meaning to the word...

2007-07-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

exhausted!

well hello again. i hope this finds you in good spirits.

since i last wrote... nothing much has changed. i still have not "stopped" to collect my breath. in fact all attempts to taking it easy and chilling out have backfired dreadfully...

the latest was this weekend. a long weekend here for canada day. Fi and Harry and i decided to go on a short over night camping/hiking trip.... yay!!!!! 5km in and 5km out in hope/manning park...

typical though. we had all the energy in the world to start with and the first 5k seemed to go by like a breeze.... so we decided to go to the next campsite... another 8.5kms.... yip... 10km turned into 27. how did that happen? F&%^$ed if i know.

the thing that got me the most. was the distance... im fairly fit... but it was the 50lbs on my back... and the 3-4km of the hike that was in a foot of snow... in hiking boots....

i ended up beign so tired on the way back that i twisted my knee (from an old skiing injury) and the last 7 km out ended up being a news lesson in how to find grace in beauty in absolute agony.

anyway... some photos for your ammusement. from the views you can see it was worth it. and yes... thats me on the hammock. yes... i hiked in my hammock that i have in my appartment...

much love and pixie dust...

much to do about... well... nothing...

2007-06-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

the sun is out. around 27 degress today... or so i have been told. just beautiful, the ocean air wafts though my appartment and the sun blazes though my yellow hammock i have in my front window.

i bought my new camera today... very flash if i may say so myself. (pardon the pun) i hate how you have to charge the battery for 12 hours before you can use it. im usually too impatient for that kinda thing... tomorrow... i can play with it tomorrow...

the last couple of weeks (since returning from hawaii) have been crazy for socialising... usually im good for at least 4 baths a week, and hours of reading quietly as i recharge the batteries from teaching... but lately ive been out past midnight every night after teaching (which i do till 9 or 10.30pm)... then turning around and teaching at 6am. ouch. invites from every direction to come out and play... definate sign that things are shifting in mind and body.

speaking of which... i went to the ear specialist today after having an ear infection for a month... i had antibiotics for it in may... but it came back in hawaii... turns out i have a fungal infection in my ear (only 10% of ear infections are fungal... so im informed) and when the doctor put the vacum in it to suck out the gunk.... omg! no wonder i had lost over half my hearing.... not fun. but good news is that its now on the mend. now i might be able to actually hear what your saying... no wait....i think i already have. the good thing about having a blocked ear... is that you hear all the sounds in your head. especially the silent ones. the silence speaks loud and clear.

so on that note... its time to get back to teaching. and then out for pie with friends...

now that i have a camera i will be able to post more photos....
watch this space.
love and pixie dust.

you know your getting screwed from behind when...

2007-06-11T22:02:00.001-07:00

when you make a phone call from a hotel room (from hawaii to australia) for LITERALLY 2 minutes.... ("hi, how are you? can you call me back?") and they charge you $23USD for it!!!!! thats $50NZD!!!!!

my mother bless her heart... called her beloved husband for 20 mins... and got stuck with a $162USD bill... ouch!!!! thats $300NZD!!!!!!!

now never say that i dont pay for my fair share of the phone calls!!!!!

home again!

2007-06-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

home again home again giggady gig.

im not sure where that comes from... i think its an old saying from the days of travelling on horses.

but never the less the sentiments are the same. im home!

im not sure if sun, surf and sand are a equal swap for being back in my own bed, my hammock, and my bath... but im going to give it a go anyway...

but while where on a reminising sceen... here are some surfing pics. yes, i know... my hair is growing. and my thighs are white in these photos... but not so much now. the pics were taking on the first day... now they are nice and brown after a full weeks play in the sun.

surfs up baby!

2007-06-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

hello!

ok so you can only guess what ive been upto most of my days here... yip. catching waves!

really enjoying it... and today, i had a giant sea turtle pop his head up about a meter from my board to take a breath. just lovely!

yesterday i went for a 4 hour hike up to some waterfalls and then went up further to the top of the mountain that overlooked a valley and you could see both sides of the island. breathtaking.
the day before that i went for a 4 hour kayak. which was nice... but not nearly as much fun as surfing or hiking... i got alittle queezy kayaking, sea sickness never my favorite experiance. didnt puke, but didnt feel at all well... and paddling against the tide and wind? no thanks... give me back my board and my burly surf instructor that tows me out with his big toes so that i dont have to paddle :o)

i have some photos that i will put up next week when im back in vancouver.

the sun has been great, the service in the restaurants is awesome! so accomodating. unlike vancouver. and the people really friendly.

one more full day and then its back to van for me!

love and pixie dust

ps. my ear infection is back, plane ride home should be fun...

just a quicky.

2007-06-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

well hello. just anote. im here. its sunny. i went surfing today... i bailed ont eh first wave and totally rocked it out every wave after that.... i have "perfect" stance... and had alot of fun doing it. the guy witht the water camera got a shot of me surfing and a turtle poking his head out of the wave behind me.... havnt seen the photo yet.... but going to check it out tomorrow. might be able to post it if i can get it from him.

tomorrow... yoga 5.30am, surfing 9am, deep tissue birthday massage 11.30am.... for everything theres mastercard! ha!

going on a 4 hour kayak trip out to some islands on wednesday to do some snorkling. and then on thursday or friday im going hiking to some local waterfalls wehrer there are no tourists.! score.

hope you are well...

love and pixie dust.

aloha!

2007-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

well good morning!

oh.. my aching body...

its a quick little entry to say hi before i go to hawaii for a week. yay!
ive never been, and am in dire need of some r&r.

yesterday we celebrated my bday (cause im in hawaii for the actual day), being that we are in a heat wave it was about 26 degrees, we had a potluck down by the water in the park. then as the sun went down we took it back to my appartment where we had blackberry and apple pie as birthday cake and dance and danced until i couldnt dance no more!...

it was a great celebration, especially seeing as it always surprises me how many people turn up!

anyway... hope you are all well,
often in my thoughts, always in my heart. still....

love and pixie dust.

uncharacteristically nonchalant

2007-05-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

ok, ok, ill write something!

update. life here is busy. many things going on at once...

firstly mum is here, which has been great so far. im not used to having ALL my time alloted... but its great to see her and i really love the fact that she has made the effort to come and see where i am and what im doing. its funny to see her sitting on the floor in the back of my yoga classes... not doing my yoga classes, but just sitting and watching. shes a hit with my friends and they all want to know where she is if shes not directly by my side.

having my cello here has been lovely as well... its nice to pick it up again after so long.

weather here has been inconsistant. warm in the sun, and really crappy otherwise.
mum and i have been shopping from everything from down jackets for Tibet at the end of the year to bikinis for hawaii next week.

oh year... this weekend is a biggy, its the first anniversary of my little company getting started. its a year since i moved into this appartment, and yip, its my birthday... all over again! can you believe its been a whole year? so this saturday we are having a pot luck for some friends to come and hang and do the multiple celebration thing.

also... the little project that i mentioned a few blogs ago is almost done... i have recorded a CD. A sun salutation cd. chanting the mantras for each asana (posture) 6 rounds at a time... so that people can do it to mantra at home... and make it a moving meditation. the cds will be hopefully ready in about 3 weeks. with the "official" release date being the 3rd july. very auspicious in my numerology...

with many blessing, i have already sold enough pre-sales to cover the manufacturing... so im absolutly stoaked. now i just have to recoup the costs of the studio... but it will come! also ive decided to donate $2 from every CD sold to Sivananda Math to help them with thier endevors in India.

anyway... thats about it... well most of it... in a "nonchalant" kinda way... you might say.

love and pixie dust.

gratitude and tulips

2007-05-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

so today is the 9th May. "yeah... so..." i hear you say. today it has been exactly one year since i arrived in vancouver.

upon my arrival on this day last year, i knew of one person in the city. i had met her for 30 mins about 6 months beforehand.... not exactly close friends.
i was able to stay with students of one of my teachers (who i had never met) for the first 5 nights. no home, no work, no friends. just me myself and my aspirations to live by the water.

and that i have achived. i wanted to write this note in gratitude as im well aware that sometimes i can be alittle on the whining side of life. ive been feeling out of sorts for the last month or so, and even my classes have been getting a little stale. but the last couple of days have reminded me of why im here, and what im doing.

in one year i have started a company that month by month is holding its own. i live 1 block from a beautiful, fairly quiet beach. 5 mins in the car from downtown vancouver. 20 mins from some awsome hiking in the forest. i get to teach in two of the most beautiful yoga studios in vancouver to people who want to learn what i have to share. (im starting to realise how much of a blessing that really is) not to mention i get to run my little workshops out of my home as well.

i have a lovely group of friends who embrace Divinity in all its glory. who expect high levels of communication and commitment, who never quiver at putting me in my place, and who give full respect and love in return.

in short... im really happy. im happy with where i live, what i get to do everyday, how i make my living and contribute to the world and who i get to share it with. (theres only one thing missing... but if its going to come it will come) im not sure there are alot of people who can say they are content with all of those three aspects of thier life. im also well aware of my friends in toronto, and my friends in new zealand who never let me forget where i came from, and how much i have been able to achieve in the last 4 years since i came to north america and for that i thank you.

so... lets take a moment to bask in sunshine and tulips.

in love, pixie dust and gratitude...

"all the way..."

2007-05-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

morning (she says with a foggy head)

ok so sinatra (or the vegas guy that sounded just like him) and the symphony was awsome... it was toe tapping, butt wiggling and shoulder jigging - all the way (which was my favorite song of the evening.) allthough they did all the classics. new york new york, my way, ive got you under my skin.

then it was onto salsa dancing... which was closed. due to change of ownership. boo. so we tried somehwere else and that was closed too! so we went to a restaurant at 11pm and ate perogies and dip with garlic bread. never eat at 11pm. never... its just not worth it... but perogies... oh so good...

right... well better get my butt out of bed.

love and pixie dust.

saturday night fever...

2007-05-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

ah... saturdays. for a long time i have been working saturdays. between 2 and 5 classes usually. but since i left one of the yoga studios i was working at... i have had saturdays free. and omg! i love it.

saturday mornings are now filled with hiking in the forest. today my friend Jim and i got together for the walk though the forest and out onto the beach... just lovely.
then a dash of clothes shopping (more teaching clothes... the joys of sweating in hot yoga studios...) supermarket. and then home to take out the trash.

have you seen the peaceful warrior? if you have then you know what im talking about... the "i cant take it anymore!" purge. the kind when everything you look at reminds you of the past.
jim, maki and i spent 2 hours going though all my clothes (admittedly i dont have that many to start with... but i have some that are from my days in new zealand and my time in toronto) its amazing how different pieces of clothing remind you of different people. things you did, the good times, the bad times, and the Goth times...

then was for the cleaning... yip. i did it. and im exhausted... you would think that bathrooms (like soap) would be self cleaning... seeing as all you do in them is clean anyway... you think they would last alittle longer before they needed attention. but apparently not.

tonight... i actually have a life. usually i like to stay in on saturdays with a video, food and maybe some conversation... but not tonight. im off to the symphony (my friend ryan has tickets and his wife cant go! - sweet!) to listen to some sinatra and vegas jazz...

then afterwards fiona and i are going salsa dancing... oh how its been a long time since ive been salsa dancing.

ill let you know how it goes...
love and pixie dust...

ps. i had to put a brush though my hair today... it must be time for the clippers!

the only constant thing in life is change...

2007-05-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

and dont i know it.

ive always thought it werid that a woman like myself who is in need of much grounding and a "home" insesantly travels and moves so much!

since costa rica ive been feeling alittle out of sorts and mentally stressed. my plans for November and December have changed back, then forth, then back and then forth... not knowing wether im arthur or mather at times. so i would like to take the oppotunity put out a public appology to my dear friend Toni for not being there in November. (im asumming that you got my email even though you have not replied...) i will however make sure im there in spirit, sending many hugs and blessings from afar.

work has died down alittle since my return as well... which although makes money alittle more stressful, it gives me time to breath, rest and catch up on the accounting, paperwork and preparations for the workshops coming up and another little project that i will tell you more about at a later date. 14th may! big day!

18 days till my mother arrives... yip... she coming... and it will take me almost that long to clean the house. im looking forward to it, it will be good to have some mom cooking and hugs. maybe ill even get time to kick her ass at cards if she so feels up to it ;O)

then its off to hawaii with my mother for my bday - aloha!. how old am i you ask? dont ask... older than i look, younger than i feel. Then from hawaii im off to sydney for a couple of days to surprise a old friend - did you crack a smile? you know im joking... dont call me that under your breath! breath is sacred, dont waste it on obsenities (im sitting here in fits of laughter. - i have such a warped sense of humor - yes im feeling better today) no no... im not going to australia...

but it does look like im returning to costa rica for another week in july to facilitate a one-on-one retreat for a week - very excited! - then back to vancouver for the weekend... then off to toronto to participate in the retreat that Ammachi is doing. catch up with some old friends, eat some rolos... (oh you so know it!) toronto in the summer time... yay yay yay! (for those who dont know what "rolos" are... they are the ice cream version of the chocolate covered caramels... the have a chocolate cone at the bottom and are soooooo good. my friend Adey and i are officially addicted and will resume endulgment of eating one a day for the length of my stay!)

then its back here to be head down and bum up working until i return to India and Tibet at the end of the year.

wow... can you believe that its almost half way though the year already? i cant... but at the same time i say BRING ON OCTOBER! - halloween of course!

love and pixie dust.

yantras all round... well square.

2007-04-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

namaste!

so some of you know that as a hobby i do art. its what i have from my 4 years of arts school... a hobby. but its starting peak intrest in some of my clients and friends... and last week i was commisioned to do these 7 canvas's for a yoga studio thats opening up... anyway... thought you would like a look see....

love and pixie dust

the rest...

2007-04-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

hello again. wow twice in one day...
here are the rest of the photos... its the top 19 out of 189 photos!!!!
the last photo gives you an idea of what the other 170 are like. :oP

mother, father... if you want you can choose which photo you like best... and ill send you a printable file so you can have it in hard copy.

enjoy it... for i will not be in front of a camera again for a very long time!

love and pixie dust...

say cheese!

2007-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

so im home, im tired, mildly grumpy and in need of a vacation.

dont go saying "but you just had one..." it was a working vacation. and im not sure you can ever say you go to a 3rd world country for a "vacation". especially with busses passing on blind corners in the rain. my nervous system is shot!

breathe pixie breath!

ok... so as promised here are a few photos from the photo shoot we did in CR. Maki www.makihanawa.com the marvoulous is a miricle worker... anyone who can get one photo of me is doing pretty well... but to have me sit in front of the camera for more than an hour and "think of this, think of that, think of him, think of doing... " is quiet special. most of you know... photogenic is not somethingi would consider myself, which is why i spend most of my time behind the camera. not in front of it. but here is the first batch. ill put up a few more tomorrow as well...

so there you have it...

on the road again...

2007-04-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

hello beautifuls,

so the retreat is over, and today maki and i are heading over to the carribiean for 2 nights to see my friend Sara. "sounds lovely" im sure you thinking... but its a grulling 10 hour day on 3 different busses not very many bathroom stops.

we went to the tree of life, it was amazing. the hike was straight up, the cave lovely, the food great, and then after lunch i basically fell straight back from where i was sitting and went straight to sleep. soooo tired. i had a nap for about 40 mins. the energy in the cave was lovely the only sound, birds and the waterfall nearby. we went swimming in the water hole as well... nothing makes me happier than being outdoors in nature.

maki and i decided to do a double whammy help out the other day. a yoga studio that i work for needs head shots of me. and she wanted some more photos to put up on her photography website www.makihanawa.com _ so we did a photo shoot of me. HA! after we got though the goofy faces and the self conciousness ... it was quiet fun. and the photos she got were awsome. i will put some of them up on here at the end of next week after we both return to vancouver... so watch this space. not bad for a chick with no hair. (well not much anyway)

i also had a reading with xenia at 12.30am on the full moon. if you want divine energy surging though your body thats the time. it was wild. lots of info on many different topics... (i had questions that needed answers - so whats new?) the answers were detailed. some made me happy, some not so much... but im sure ill talk about it with you indervidually in all good time.

so off we go to puerto veijo ... will write again soon...

much love and pixie dust.

namaste !

Hola!

2007-03-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

hello beautifuls,

so i just wanted to drop you a line as we have come into town for a half hour or so.

the retreat so far is lovely it is SO nice to be back - i feel at home here, the country, the language, the people. just the way of life... is so natural for me., chatting with old friends. its funny how i have not spoken spanish in over a year and in 3 days most of what i had before has come back.

the yoga is great. my asana practice is back in full force, the food is wonderful, the weather amazing. the ocean... oh my god - Divine.
the water is warm, the swimming pool warmer. it is so nice not to have to wear a beanie (tuke) everywhere i go.

today we went to the base of the largest mountain in CR, and went to the natural hot springs... just amazing...

tomorrow its our ¨day off¨so i am doing a 6 hour hike up to the Tree of Life where there are natural caves behind the waterfalls. apparently its amazing energy so i hope to sit and meditate for a while. ill make sure i take some photos and drop you a line in the next 4-5 days to tell you how it went.

i will have photos when i get back to canada...

i had a bet with the taxi driver today as to if it was going to rain - yo gane! ( i win!) so hes buying pastries as the reward - guaba e queso.... muy rica!

must go... much love...
always in my heart, often in my mind.

hasta luego
love and pixie dust.

im on my way...

2007-03-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

hello possums,

so just wanted to drop you a line before i take off to CR. i leave in the morning, bright and early.

im excited as its the first day this year that i have not taught a yoga class! im going to take myself out for lunch in LA on venice beach for a job well done...

i went out with some friends last night... and ended up pulling an all nighter...i got home at 6am... and let me tell you, i havnt done that in a LONG time. some very profound things came to me as the evening progressed - i wont go into details but lets just say... im still smiling and my hands were swollen from drumming for hours on end. fantastic fun!

as you can probally tell from my "lack of poeticness" (is that even a word?) im extremally tired and havnt yet finished packing... so must get back to it.

Ill see you in the soup and we can have a pea together (as my mother would say) translating to ill catch you again in a couple of weeks with some photos and details on the trip. i might even get to post a note while im there if i get into town (translation - single dirt road track with a few shops - but they do have an internet cafe!) so watch this space...

much love and pixie dust.

full circle.

2007-03-23T01:38:00.000-07:00

every now and then you find yourself coming to a full circle in your life and this blog is case and point.

"the more things change, the more they stay the same"

as most of you know, this blog started as a way to communicate with family/friends while i was living in Costa Rica about a year and a half ago.
since then i have started Pura Luna, moved to Vancouver, loved, gained, and grown.
and next week...

i get to go back and do it all again!. yip thats right... im heading back to the CR for 2 weeks of yoga, going deep, and surrendering into the arms of mother. Mother Nature that is... the almighty Ma!

the last couple of weeks in Vancouver have been hectic. Kris has been here which is awsome, its great to have someone around that remembers you before "the beads and the sita ram stuff". not only remembers but has no problems telling all your yogic friends stories of your days of drinking and partying with the entertainment industry. (cringe)

ive been asked to teach the "sacred art" sessions on the retreat in CR. at first i was kinda "eh" about it... but after about 10mins of not knowing what in the world i would do for it... i suddenly got ideas for all 5 sessions, and am now really looking forward to it. ready and willing to share everythign from goddess prayer flags - hindu prayer dances to "divine mother" - labyrinth stones.

im looking forward to recharging my batteries... as they have been running kinda low in the last couple of weeks. i had a comment made to me the other day about the amount of "masculine energy" i run in my body (with relation to my health)... it was mentioned that i sounded "A male with an A type personality"... and after i picked up my chin from the floor, and got over being mildly offended - it got me thinking... and they were right - more right than they realise.

suddenly flashes of multiple relationships exibiting my over compensation for non-commital and "confused" males, my willingness to not only do my part for a relationship, but do thier part as well... came flooding to the forfront... Dam! i hate it when hes right! and its funny, because only the relationships where this pattern has been there (not all of my relationships have this pattern let me say) have i had health problems that mirror an excess of "masculine energy"...

so... there you go... every now and then i listen to the wise words of those around me...

heres to costa rica and to those oh so loving arms of the Beloved...

hasta luego amigos!

love and pixie dust.

you know its a good month when...

2007-03-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

yeah i know... yogicly we are supposed to watch every emotion with equanimity, not being attached to good and bad, pain and bliss. but you know what? sometimes... im just not there yet. its the smallest things that bring me the most joy...

so... i thought i would drop a line to share the bliss in gratitude of the month so far...
so you know its a good month when...

*your friend from toronto gets on a plane to come and vist you for 5 days! vanilla ice cream here we come!

*turns out that a person you really want to talk to, wants to talk to you too! (albeit they dont like to admit it :oP
*your workshops are full, and your enjoying facilitating them.
*you do your accounting for last month and tears are not running down your face - and your not considering packing up and going to live in an Ashram!
*after 2 weeks of solid rain we get a day full of sunshine and warmth - relativly for winter (followed by the heat in my appartment breaking again - leaving me freezing - equanimity!)
*the cherry blossom trees are blooming and Tulips are out. (tulips, daffodils, and sun flowers being my fav... spring is always a highlight)
*there is only 13 more sleeps till Costa Rica!
*you aquire tickets to BB KING at the end of April - anybody wanna come with me - i have a spare ticket... !!!!!! just a plane ride away...
*you have a "first time" experiance of paying someone to come and clean your house, (yes - i am too busy to clean my own appartment) and you dont have a ounce of guilt about it! (turns out the lovely lady is from Mexico... and spoke to me in nothing but Spanish the whole time, making me practice for CR)

anyway... thats my month so far, hope you are all well finding joy in whatever you are doing.

much love and pixie dust.

Channeling Shakespare

2007-03-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

so you want to know what i do on my saturday night? well when im not endulging in a BBB. (bath, book and bed) i hang out with my friend LJM, and we "make music". actually to say its a regular thing is a lie. cause tonight was our first time... but we had fun. and this is what we came up with...
http://www.puraluna.com/music

either double click on the link or if you "right click on - "click here for chanelling shakespear" and then choose - save target as..." it should download it as an mp3 file.

love and pixie dust.

the taste of love,

2007-03-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

so i taught tonight my yin class which i have to say is taking on a life of its own. pushing all boundries of what a "normal" studio yoga class is... we have been learning as a community, as a group of inderviduals, as All One to speak our truth.

over the last month we have been exploring such things as, what are you greatful for? as we evolve in asanas to open the heart. what brings you joy as we reach into asanas that open the hips.
what makes us separate from each other - our secrets. so... in true courage, each person in the class (about 40 people) shared what they considered to be "a secret" they they held away from others.

we have also explored the nature of love, what does love, taste like, smell like, look like, feel like and sound like to you?

tonight was "international womans day" so we explored Goddess while meditating with dark chocolate under the tounge, comtemplating what the almighty Shakti means to the heart. we sat back to back with eagle arms interlinked with each other. opening up the heart and syncing up the breath. to complete the asana by facing each other in pornam mudra and greating the goddess infront of you with a eye contact and a smile.
needless to say... there were many smiles and open hearts and they went home to thier loved ones... floating on the waves of the Beloved Mother. in gratitude and unconditional love... what does Goddess mean to you?

love and pixie dust and a good nights sleep...

with respect

2007-03-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

DS, if you are reading this... in hope of seeing what ive been up to then i sincerly and simply ask you to please pick up the phone. there is much to say... in love and light.

everything but blogging...

2007-02-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

hello possums,

yes yes i know... its been a while. much has been going on... and none of it left me time for writing.

where do i start... "lets start at the very beginning..."
David and broke up in early december. so my december was all about creating a lovely christmas for myself, by myself. my two friends maki and addreinne came and hung out on xmas day with me... that was lovely. we observed scilence until xmas dinner where i cooked tofu turkey with cranberry sauce. YUM! im a fantastic cook when i get the time.

January and febuary have been very growing months for me, pushing my boundries in both trust, surrender and what "love" is capable of. ive been teaching between 16 - 19 yoga classes a week which is a HUGE amount of work... needless to say im exhuasted but mentally in great sprits.
my classes are getting a really warm responce and seems that the more i push the envelope with them... the more positive feedback i recieve.
last week i had 60 people in a yin/meditation class... i had them all doing a "shiva shambo" kirtan for Shivaratri. the energy was amazing... my hands have never played my djembe drum so fast and my lungs have never sung so loud! the hugs and comments that i recieved after the class and the days to follow were very humbling. indeed i love what i have been offered the oppotunity to do...

my health has been a razors edge... mainly due to my work load. if im not carefull i have no voice by the end of my week... and if i dont express my feelings on certain things... then as most of you know im in big trouble. - and if you dont know... then you probally dont need to know.

my love life is ... well... beautiful, blissful, passionate, heart expanding, hopeful, astrologically fantastically profound ... and currently non exsistant. hehehehe.
lets just say that most of my energy goes into my practice and my teaching... and the energy that i have in love, desire, hope and longing for someone... also gets channeled straight into my practice and love for Ma. im sure you know what i mean.

im getting ready in the next month to return to Costa Rica for 2 weeks where im assisting a yoga retreat. very excited... must have tropical warmth after this winter. put my brain and tounge back in to espanol, and my heart in the jungle... where i feel at home in the arms of Mother Nature.

with much love and pixie dust...

namo narayan!

oh the weather outside is (delightfully) frightful...

2006-11-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

yes... you got it... vancouver has snow! not often (about once a year im told) does this sea side city get snow... but with my luck... we have just had record snow fall in the last 7 years!

here are some pics from the weekend.

me!

David and I

snow on the mountains from my front room.

have a great day...
love and pixie dust

ever wondered what it would be like to shave your hair off?

2006-11-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

me too! so ... yip. i did it. in kolkata, by the muslim guy sitting on the side of the road with a straight razor and an upturned box.

i tipped my head over with red hair nearly down to my elbows... and turned it up again without a single hair on my head.

a great lesson in non attachement... its amazing how much we identify who we are with who we see in the mirror.

where have i been?

2006-10-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

as you know... ive been kinda quiet for a couple of months...
august/sept because i was busy trying to fundraise...
sept/oct - well because i was in INDIA! yes you got it... i went to the motherland for a month... and it was wild.

yes i have many stories... but its kinda too early to start yabbering about them. and quiet frankly... my stories just wouldnt do the experiance justice...

so here are a few photos...

Out of the mouths of babes...

2006-08-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

my dear friend caroline emailed me this morning with a little story that i thought was so great i wanted to share it with you. she writes...

I can't help but pass along this Mom moment. I asked for a kiss from MacCallum this morning at breakfast (never ask, big mistake). He said "I don't want to kiss you." So I tried to pull an "I'm sad face (another mistake)." After a few moments he looked at me and said "You could just love yourself." Namaste, Caroline

ah... love it.

Pura Luna in the Georgia Straight!

2006-07-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

just wanted to let you lovely possums know that Pura Luna had it first Canadian feature article this week, written by the lovely Gail Johnson of the Georgia Straight.

check out http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=18907 for the dish...

love and pixie dust...

ps. David is back in town. All is good with the world.

my own private universe.

2006-07-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you get a yoga practise that just gives you such a different experiance than anything you have had before.

this morning i decided to take my practice down to my local beach. holding my bag above my head i waded out to the floating barg. surrounded by water my practise unfolded as though i was practicing on the breathing mother herself. of course we are always practising on mother earth. but to feel her breathing through the waves beneath me was quiet somthing.

i hope you all have a beautiful day.

love and pixie dust.

its all yoga shmoga - now published!

2006-06-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

hello possums!

well i wanted to share wtih you my first published work... its an article that i have written on what yoga means to me... and you can find it on http://www.yogadirectorycanada.com/words.html

please take 2 mins to have a look...

love and pixie dust.

The Great Twin Island Adventure.

2006-06-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

hello possums!

so pending david leaving for his trip to halifax for 3 weeks, we decided to take a little over night camping trip.

we rented a canoe and paddled for 1.5 hours off Dove Cove to twin islands. theres the big one. and the little one. and we camped on the little island where we were completly alone.

i have to say ... its quiet a surreal experiance knowing that you are the only people on the entire landmass!

we got up the next day and paddled back against the tide. which was tiring but very enjoyable.

now david is off on his cross country drive for 3 weeks - from halifax back to vancouver... im trying to get some more work to pay yet the more bills that keep coming through the hole in the door.

love and pixie dust.

my apartment

2006-06-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

hello!

well i thoguht it was about time that i give you a look see at my new appartment. now that it is all "up and running" with the addition of my new plants and candles today.

as you can see, its pretty big for me. sometimes im not quite sure what im surposed to do wtih all the space. but then i remember that i have to work out of it... and have people for workshops and then it dosnt seem so big as you can see i get the added bonus of topless men standing in my kitchen - at no extra charge!

its been another beautiful day here in vancouver and we have just completed a picnic on the beach with friends... i start my first workshop tomorrow... very excited!

love and pixie dust.

ladies and gentlemen... i made it to 27!!!

2006-06-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

hello everyone.

wanted to drop you a line to share with you some pics from my birthday yesterday. i know that most of you think its strange that i still like to enjoy my birthday instead of doing the - "its just another day" "its not really that important" " oh whatever - ive had enough of them now - i dont celebrate them anymore" crap! i was born! my mother was in labour for over 12 hours to get me! this is not to be snuffed at! not by me! not by anyone!

i had a wonderful day, very romantic, and completly blisful.

starting off but waking up and opening presents, then getting on a bus and a ferry, and going to the sunshine coast (north of vancouver) for the day. the weather was brilliant, and the water was cold.

we hitch hiked from the ferry to Roberts Creek and back improvising little "ditties" to keep us occupied as the cars went past without stopping. David and I sunbathed, i got a foot rub by the sea, we skinny dipped, and the had lunch at a nice restaurant where we requested to make a picnic on thier lawn instead of sitting at the tables. naturally on my birthday i had to have rolo icecream to finish off the feast.

we came back on the ferry quiet pink from the impromptue sunshine, we gingerly sat on the futon couch where i taught David how to play 500 (a card game). all round a great birthday.

thanks to all who sent emails, cards, ecards, phone calls, and flowers.

love and pixie dust.

ok so you want to know...

2006-05-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

so ive had quiet a few requests to get off my ass and write you what its like in vancouver.

well in short. its great. i really like it here.

the first week i stayed at "little rikhia" which was just what i needed. its a house where 3 yogi people live... a great introduction to the city.
ive found an appartment and am getting ready to move in in a week or so. around the 1st june.

the weather has been great since i got here. quiet noval apparently, so im going to enjoy it while it lasts. the city itself is quiet easy to get around. the bus drivers are the nicest ive ever met. and if you dont have enough change often they let you on anyway. hands down it is the most user friendly public transport service ive ever been on.

i have been very busy since i arrived getting to know "who, when, and where" of the city. i have spoken to, if not met most of the yoga studios, and have been to a few quiet challenging classes, however even though vancouver is a very saturated yoga city, it looks as though im the only person here that is offering what i am. which is good. and the response to my work so far has been great.

one great part of the city is that there are sushi restaurants everywhere. and apparently even the all you can eat sushi is good.

there seems to be quiet a vast difference in social structure here. there is clearly alot of rich people. being that its the most expensive city in canada. but there is also a huge community of homeless being that it has the nicest climate in canada. there is very clear lines as to where is "safe" and where is "not safe" at night as far as a single woman running around the city.

im happy to be by the ocean. and im happy to see the mountains when i look up. its amazing how these small things give me so much comfort. the whole experiance here so far has been wonderful. after my first week of staying with the yogi's i had an invitation to go and stay at one of their friends house. so that is where i am staying now. his name is Yoga Dhyanam - or David for the more conventional types. its cool sharing a space with only one other person, and his home is very inviting to stay in.

so as its the long weekend this weekend im gearing up for a busy 4 days. next week i move into my appartment and is David's birthday. the next week of course is my birthday. and the week after i start my first course here...

life is very exciting. and i am very happy...

love and pixie dust.

im on the road again...

2006-05-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

for the last time... im sure of it!

its 1.30am, im packed, holding down my dinner (albeit only just), and nearly ready to pass out.

tomorrow i fly to vancouver. where i will make my home, and start my company.

i have many random things flying around my head as i get ready to go... some just, and some not.
to start with my head is filled with...
namely how blessed i am that i have such wonderful friends in toronto.
how lucky i am to be going to vancouver and staying with some great yoga people for the first couple of days until i find an appartment.
how its scary to be starting again in a new city, and how exciting it is to be starting pura luna up perminantly.

love and pixie dust.

got my mojo working.

2006-05-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

hello possums.

so yesterday was a very strange day indeed. i had alot of running around to do, allot of subway rides, and allot of walking.

in one day i had...

a garbage truck stop on the side of the road. and the guy in it tell me im beautiful.
2 different men on two different street stop work and stare at me as i walked towards them... and im quiet sure while i was away from them as well.
a guy in a van, tooted and whisteled out the window (no, incase you are wondering... i was wearing clothes, jeans and a white top.)
i had the guy in the subway booth say something to me... i had my headphones on and when i asked him to repeat it he looked me square in the eye and said "im in love with you". (werido)
im not sure if it was just cause i actually brushed my hair. of it it was because i had alittle lippy on... but either way it was quiet strange.

the highlight of the day was the "jewish film festival gala" that i got taken too at the last minute. walking through a crowd of short, signature nosed, mostly middle aged (and im sure all very lovely) jewish people. there was this slim, very cute guy standing on the opposite side of the buffet table.
we instantly locked eyes. he walked around to my side of the table. introduced himself. and informed me that he lives in vancouver. JACKPOT!!!!

so we spent the rest of the night watching people dance at a tequila and salsa party. dancing and genually having a good time...

so... in short i guess. although yesterday was strange... it was also pretty good. i got home just before 1am. blisters on my feet from dancing in heels and a one glass buzz and subsequent headache the next morning.

so... looks like i might have one friend in vancovuer...

heres hoping.

love and pixie dust.

Nearly at the end of the road...

2006-05-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

so things have been very busy. my stuff has been moved out and onto a truck this morning from here - to vancouver and the rest of my stuff is being moved as we speak in nz - to go to vancouver.

all my marketing stuff is ready for my big debut to the yoga industry this weekend at the Yoga Confrence.

im alittle nervous, i can tell cause my body is freaking out and my brain is not doing too badly. so i know reality is somewhere inbetween.

at least spring is here and the daffodils are out.

ill write when i get to vancouver and settle in... maybe ill even include a pic or two of my appartment.

love and pixie dust.

about F#$%^ing time!

2006-04-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

YAY YAY YAY! i can hardly contain myself!
are you sitting down?

I GOT MY PERMANENT RESIDENCY!!!!!!

YAY OH YAY!!!!!!

now all i have to do is give my lawyer my passport,
registar my company,
registar for GST
get movers to move from toronto
get movers to move from NZ
get my new cell number
get my business cards printed
get a flight to BC
and a whole heap of other stuff that i can remember right now....

hooroo and pixie dust!

Bittersweet Symphony!

2006-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well possums,

this week has been, well very bittersweet.

my first week back in Canada. Great to see old friends. My lawyer paid for lunch (great bonus), and I was honored and privileged to be invited into the scores (all 3 of us that I know of) that have watched back to back episodes of the ditched series "Firefly". Don't ask me why, just put it down to the jet lag crazies.

firstly I have to say I HATE couch surfing. But if I have to couch surf then bouncing between Michaels and scotts could be a lot worse. Wow... That came out a lot worse than I meant it too. Both lovely platonic friends, Michael lives alone so can do with a woman's cooking every now and then, and Scott has all my stuff from my apartment. So when I say couch surfing, its actually surfing on my couch!

for the big highs and big lows of the week, I shall start with "how crap can life really get" and work my way to "oh my god! That's fantastic!"

firstly, a friend of mine, the type that I wish we were closer, has just been diagnosed with non hodgkins lymphoma - cancer. And has to do the whole chemo thing. Im sorry... But in my book, lovely, fun, intelligent, 30 year olds (or at least early thirties) just shouldn't get cancer! Yes I know its about the life lesson and the karma that will be worked out but for goodness sake. It doesn't make it suck any less.

and now for the "oh my god That's fantastic" I have had an offer from the "new york literary agency" to represent me and my upcoming book! YAY!!!!! it makes the countless rejection letters feel all the more worth while.

Still waiting on my permanent residency. But getting very good and twiddling... My thumbs.

love and pixie dust.

And for dessert...

2006-03-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

now those of you who know me, are probally aware that i can out blush anyone... and tonight was no different.

David and Mum took me out for dinner for creating Davids website for the store. www.djgallery.co.nz dinner was lovely, i let loose long enough to consume a glass of wine. being that im one glass wonder the rest of this story will come as no surprise.

our lovely (and very cute) waiter Robert had been waiting on our every need all evening. (much to my delight) when it came time for dessert i enquired about the chiefs special which was a crisp apple soup. he explained in his fantastic Dutch accent that it was quiet a nice desert which came with a horny parfait. my heart stopped. "a what?" i spat out. he smiled and said "a horny parfait"... now convinced that i was hearing things... i instantly started radiating huge amounts of heat from the neck up... not knowing if it was the wine, or the lack of excitment in my life in the passed months i loudly exclaimed "a what?".... "a horny parfait" he replied as loudly as i had questioned him. obviously now quiet uncomfortable at the situation... he started to make a buzzy bee motion with his hands, flapping at his sides. my mother, now in hestirics, exclaimed "honey, kelly he means honey!"

i could have died. i think poor robert did... as he muttered something about crappy english and walked off to put in the order.

for the rest of the evening... he called me "honey" at every oppotunity, and everytime he did... i got about 2 inches shorter...

needless to say i thoughly enjoyed my crisp apple soup with my horny parfait.

love and pixie dust...

from this side of things...

2006-03-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

so here it is. my two week take on going back to canada.
the nerves of buying my appartment in vancouver have gone. everytime i close my eyes i can see my new home and am just excited as hell about it. ive decided to try living by myself first off, and making the second bedroom into my yoga room. where i can work out of part of the time. (thats the plan anyway)

i taught yesterday, and lets just say... i really enjoyed it. its cool to hear a woman with diabetes tell you that for the first time in 3 years last week (after her first full day workshop with me) she actually started to get her sense of smell back. now im not saying i did that. but i think the yoga that we did helped the process along. its given me that boost of confidance that i needed to start Pura Luna upon my return.

my Permiant Recidancy hasnt come though yet. and to tell you the truth im not sure when its going to come. obviously nothing in my life can get started (with work and house anyway) until that comes though... so im hoping its not too far now. or we could be going to plan F. yes ... you guessed what plan F is.

i watched a movie last night that had the quote in it "the railroad between venice and vienna across the alps was built before there was a train that could run on it". I feel like im relentlessly building my track. im well aware that i have not sited the train as of yet. but i know its coming baby! its definatly coming. not sure if its steam, desil, electric, or will run on water. but its defnatly coming... and ill be damed if the tracks not finished by the time it gets there.

so ladies and gentleman. im on a mission. to greatness. not the fame, and riches that most of todays society determine greatness as being. (well just enough riches to pay the mortgage :o) but to greatness never the less.
as as two weeks closes into one. im saddened to be leaving my family... and aprehensive about the future. but dam it! life is too short for fear!

im stepping back... ready for the running jump off the clif in front of me, taking a deep breath and...

im in love...

2006-03-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

yip, my friends its true, im totally in love. with John Galt. who is john galt you say? well its the dreamy ever illusive, comepletly sexy (in my head anyway) main character in my book. Atlas Shrugged. and before you start your mind to wonder, yes... its true... i have no love life of my own and have to resort to a 1200 page book for my day dreaming.

ok... so now you have stopped laughing ill be alittle more realistic.

its 3 weeks till i return to Canada. not sure if it will be vancouver or toronto first off... it all depends on that little peice of paper called a perminant recidancy. but im all packed and ready to ship my stuff. nervous as hell about buying an appartment. (but also stupidly excited about the thought of having my own home) mainly becuase i dont have any work lined up as yet and pura luna is still too young to finantially hold me up 100%. but hopefully that will come though when i get there and start pounding the pavement in my most charming way.

ive had fun in auckland. i feel that my friendships with smart and toni are as strong now as they have ever been. they are both the kind of people where no matter what changes, weddings, babies, houses, your love for each other dosnt.

my workshop in nelson is happening on sunday. nervous as hell about that too! but excited at the same time. i have 7 people including my aunty. which i think is pretty good!

mum has been in better spirits since ive come back to blenheim as well. she helped me with my workshop workbook today, i actually dragged her away from the ironing. (10 points to me!) we cracked up everytime she had to pronounce something in sanskrit or some obsure disease that standing on your head is good for. we are planning on playing mini golf soon, and going though my trunk of baby clothes to decide what im taking to vancouver (oh i know what your saying... and yes... i intend on having a child someday. can you imagine? a mini kelly!)

OK... so with all that in mind.
sweet dreams my possums.

love and pixie dust.

hold on to your hat and pants.

2006-03-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

well the last couple of days have been fun, interesting and kinda scary at the same time.
lots going on in the world of this pixie at the moment and its hard to find that balance between going at it full throtle, and going back to bed because its just all to hard!

going though all my stuff to get ready to move back to canada is full of memories, and has been a great lesson in "non attachement". its funny the things that im really attached to though. like the small tool set my aunty gave me as my first house warming present.

i have also aquired a new trunk to add to my now collection of two! it was owned by a P.N Issac who was a wing commander in WWII. and was with him on his trip from auckland - london on the ruahine. pretty cool eh?

now back to moving to canada, now that its alittle under a month till i return im feeling alittle scared, very excited, and alittle anxious. (i can tell because ive been craving chocolate and gingernut biscuits). my dad has embarked on this adventure with me and is helping me to buy my first appartment (i know... roots!). so i spend a good part of my week looking at appartments in vancouver sent to me by my real estate agent, and tripple confirming that there will be no more "hidden" costs with my mortgage broker.

as for going back to costa rica any time soon its kinda up in the air. im craving to have some work that can take my mind of my bills for a while. as the bill department in the next 6 months is only going to get worse.

im ready to send out my book proposal to agents in north america but do you think i can get one of those 2006 agents in amercia books? ah... no. try a 2 week wait and $52 later (for a $20 book) looks like unless i can bribe a friend to go and take notes for me. im going to have to wait till i get back to canada.

and last but not least my workshops, well nelson looks like it might happen, which is great. but blenheims looks like it might have to be cancelled. but hey! its a learning curve right? and i have already learnt alot. alittle bummed that i wont be able to have them go ahead, i have nothing else to do but keep going and planning the next one which will be in vancouver.

oh well... love and pixie dust everyone!

There's hope yet...

2006-02-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

just wanted to drop a line to say that im now in AUCKLAND! my birth place, the city that has all the school memories, the first kiss, and a few others as well...

i saw my surrogate brother Smarty yesterday, for the first time since hes got married. his wife Anna is now also 5 months pregnant. so you can imagine my delight to see this man who i love dearly go from a playboy (he wasnt called "the dog" for nothing) to a man who is considerate and loving towards and about his wife, ecstatic at how hes just brought his first home with her. and unbelievably giddy at the thought of his first child arriving in June. it gives me hope that the scoundrels of the past can have redeeming apiphanies.

last night i stayed wtih my ex step sister, who i now just consider to be my sister, and was delighted to see my little "niece" Emma. she dosnt seem to be to interested in me at the ripe old age of 16 months old. but boy is she interested in everything else. from the great noise the metal spoon makes on a metal bowl, to the wonderful sound of the crackling lawn mower as she walks down the hall way with it. she has a chuckle that is hard to differenciate between when a child is winding up to burst into tears, or spill over in giggles.

tomorrow im going to dinner with my friends, cant wait to see them. toni (who was in blenheim with me last week.) and her boyfriend scott. and smarty and anna, and craig and his mrs, and hopfully kerin and his mrs as well. not to miss out the infamous BJ! (whos actually from Ajax ontario - but lives here now) - sadly mike will not be there due to the terrible fact that hes on tour with UB40 and wont be back in town till monday, where hes getting ready to fly to the "islands" for another gig. its a hard life but someone's got to do it.

anyway... so as i spend a week of reminiscing, and catching up, im also launching my publicity for my workshops back in Blenheim and nelson. Praying that I get enough people, IM really looking forward to doing some work down here.

love and pixie dust~!

2006-02-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hello Possums,

i hope everyone is well... i am. working hard on my workshops, and finding that balance between enjoying every moment i can in my wonderful country. and planning to go back to canada.

Last week i had my week in the Ashram, having planned it in August of last year its been a long time coming!
the trip getting there was amusing to say the least. the bus to pick me up from Blenheim was 20 mins late to start with and then on a very windy hill... the trailer broke and detached it self from the bus only to be dragged by the safty chain. not wanting to miss my connection to Takaka i grabed my bags (while everyone else was was waiting on the side of the road) and hitched the rest of the way to Nelson.

little did i know... that the bus that broke down WAS my connection to Takaka. so i ended up sitting at the information center for over an hour waiting for the very bus that had broken down to start with!.

needless to say that i was not there when the people from the retreat came to pick me up. arriving in Takaka 1.5 hours late. i checked into a back packers for the night, and found new and interesting ways to appreciate being woken up at 3am by drunk stupid men who then decided to snore violently for the rest of the night. breathe, must breathe.

so not surprising that by the time i actually got the the retreat the peacfulness and the serenity of the place was well needed.

in fact going there in general was exactly what i needed. i had 4 privte lessons with Swami Muktidhama in 3 days. spent time with his lovely wife Kama Karuna, thier 9 year old daughter Sundari, and the rest of the guests, both perminant, and temporary.

The house i stayed in was run on basic solar power. and only did the 12v light (to be used only when realy nessasary) so to keep in the spirit of "simplicity" i decided to embrace living by candelight. taking my showers at night by the warm glow of the flame, lit the fire for heat, and found my steps though the house by the travelling light of a portable candle, just like wee willy winkle.

the food was simple but really good. mostly coming from thier own garden. i didnt even miss chocolate for the 4 days that i was there. and not talking from 9pm - 8.15am was somewhat a chellenge. the evenings were ok... but after getting up at 5.30am for asana and then breakfast at 7.30am after chanting... by the time 8.10am came around i found myself clock watching, eager to see how everyone slept and what they had planned for the day.

i loved the way the peace and simplicity of the place just seaped into my bones... the meditation room where all practise was done was just unbeilevable, it was round with the walls made of earth and a hole in the top with natural light pouring onto the offerings of flowers and candles, and the warm fire radiating heat from one side, making it especially inviting on a cold morning.

my lessons with "Mukti" were not quite what i expected. instead of being straight, and intimidating with his knowledge and love for yoga. i surprisingly found him to be very warm hearted, very candid, and very human. clearly having profound talent in the art and techniques of yoga, he discribed himself as mearly a hose, that needs to be as clean as possible, so that the pure water of the devine can flow though him.

i highly recommend going to this amazing place if you ever get the oppotunity.

so... now im back in blenheim. my best friend Toni is coming down this week to spend some time with me. i have some press to do for my workshops in march. and its my little cousins 13th birthday. all very exciting...

love and pixie dust.

Fat and Jovel

2006-01-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

so im sitting at my huge family reunion last saturday. it was my great aunties 50th wedding anniversary. over 80 relatives to desifer, name, parent, grandparent - all leading to the head of the family "grandma Tunnell" (my great grandmother).

with sore feet, and my "kelly! its so lovely to meet you - again. you look just like your mother! and youve grown so much since i saw you last" at its quota. i sat next to this angelic little lady who informed me that she was my "aunty peggy". married to my late uncle Jimmy, who was my grandmothers brother.

surprisingly, sitting next to this little woman was a highlight of my day. she told me about what my grandmother was like before she was married exclaiming at the top of her voice that my nana was "fat and jovel!". how "in her day" they never worried about being pregnant, with no ultra sounds, and no way to tell if the baby was ok they just "got on with it, cause every one was in the same boat, so it didnt really matter".

she told me that she had never left new zealand, having traveled around the north island, and only to the top of the south island, she was happy to explore the world though her tv, and the stories of her well traveled grandchildren. she didnt like chrocodiles, and when i told her about my jet skiing story in costa rica she screwed up her face like a mischivous child being told to eat her soggy tripe.

she ate small amounts, exclaiming that it was because she didnt move around much, and she had to watch her weight (she was tiny and thin), but didnt complain, in fact smiled secretivly when i snuck a second oyster canape onto her plate. she said that even though she was 82 she was still ok to drive, so long as she didnt have to do any right hand turns. which basically ment she could get to the supermarket and back. she told me to turn around and show off my tatoo, to her grandaughter, telling her that she though it was "very nice".

coherant, alive, interactive, and interested in everything from everyone, of every age, my dear Aunty Peggy sat on the couch, surrounded by loving family, doating over her and filling her up on tea.

sadly, 4 days later... we have just had the news that today aunty peggy died. although i know she lived right to the end. im saddened to know that yet another part of our family has left us, but pleased that she got a chance to see everyone in the same room just one more time... it must have been worth living for.

RIP aunty peggy.... you will be missed.

ladies and gentleman...

2006-01-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

i now pronounce you husband and wife...

no not me silly... my mum and her now husband david. they got married yesterday, after being together for 7 years. 'bout bloody time i say!

thought you might like to see some photos from it...

mum, david and me...

me and aunty dawn...

me and nikki above, and

me and bryce below...
love and pixie dust.

heres a thought...

2006-01-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

hello possums.

sorry i have not written in so long, but with the holidays here... life has gotten in the way.

life in new zealand is good. but it dosnt feel like home... im itching to get back to Canada/Costa Rica and get working again...

i have a thought for you. in eastern philosphy its said that what we think about and surround ourselves with in our lives that that is what we will encourage more of into our lives.
so... why in the evenings do many people sit for hours in front of the tv consumed by programs about murder, incest, crime, rapes, psycho serial killers and other horrible things like coronation street where everyone is continuously arguing, caniving, and back stabbing each other... and the worse of them all, the weakest link, where belittling people is used as entertainment!

is this what we want to bring into our lives? could this be a controbution to the high devorse rate? if all of these things are brought into our homes as the every day norm is it surprising that it becomes the norm for our real relationships?

love and pixie dust.

www.puraluna.com now up and running!

2005-12-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

well hello!

just wanted to invite you to check out my very first website, for my company Pura Luna.

with a little help from my friends, i have designed and created the site myself. so any and all comments on what you think are most appreciated. so check it out www.puraluna.com

love and pixie dust.

Toto! Were home!

2005-12-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

So I made it back to NZ. And let me tell you… they talk funny down here!
I miss calculated the amount of flying it was going to take to get home. It was 5 flights not 4.

Leaving the hotel at 4.30am I made it to the airport in time to be buying alcohol (for xmas presents of course!) before 6am (a person first). The 4 hours in Mexico City airport were unbelievably boring. And the lovely man at LA airport was wrong when he told me that I didn’t have to change terminals before my next flight “so no need to hurry”. He was wrong by 2 whole terminals!… let me just say that a white chick in sweats running down the sidewalk outside the airport, yelling at people to get out the way in Spanish (because I had forgotten that I wasn’t in a Spanish speaking country anymore) turns heads and has security looking “alert”. I made it though… to my flights with only 3 mins to spare.

When I arrived in NZ they kindly informed me that they “haven’t lost my bag. They know exactly where it is… its in LA. And it will be here any day now!” well used to this routine at xmas… I thanked god they didn’t loose the bag with the presents (like they did last year) and continued on my journey. Again running to the next terminal… with less than 5 mins to spare as I checked in I was kindly told that they didn’t have “time” to charge me for my one bag being overweight. Ive never been so grateful that I didn’t have both of my bags to check…!
Flying to Wellington (the capital) they informed us that we might not be able to land… because of wind. But luckily they were wrong. And last but not least I had a great little flight on the 16 seater plane, where I was greeted by my entire family!

I have noticed a couple of really different things so far between NZ and CR. Mainly being once again able to put toilet paper down the toilet instead of the rubbish bin beside the loo. Taking a shower and not sharing it with any frogs… sleeping in a room with no geckos, and being able to dive my hand into my suitcase without first checking for spiders, or scorpians!

My family are pleased to have me home. I can tell by how the kids wont leave my side, and how mum wont stop cooking.

As you can see we didn’t waist anytime setting up the important things in life…

So I hope you all have a VERY Merry Christmas.
love and pixie dust!

on the road again...

2005-12-21T03:56:00.000-08:00

well dear friends. the time has come and i am leaving this beautiful country.

my adventures here have been amazing. and i am truly going to miss the wildlife, animals as well as humans.

my spanish is shocking but a hell of a lot better than when i arrived, so im pretty pleased with that. and i have worked though MANY fears, and feel more in my body that ever before. much to my amazment, its pretty calm in there.

Today im doing my "favorite" journey from Dominical - San Jose. YUK! and then tomorrow at 7am i start my 29 hour fly extravaganza to Blenhiem New Zealand where i my family lives for xmas.

so i say "hasta luego amigos" now and will greet you with a "ki ora" faster than you know it to continue my adventures down under.

Feliz Navidad!, love and pixie dust.

just incase you are bored...

2005-12-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

check out www.puraluna.com

how you are saying... why? all it says is that its "coming soon".

well yes dear grasshoppers. it is... but the fact of the matter is that its taking me 2 days to figure out how to upload that dam image onto the site! having never done it before, im currently feeling quite proud and wanted to share my success (albeit small) with you all.

love and pixie dust!

I got taco’d.

2005-12-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. well its only 1 week till I fly to NZ. And im starting to get excited.

I spent the last couple of days catching up with my friends Shawn and his new wife Hannah. i hitched the 2 hour trip north to where they life in Jaco and was very lucky on the way up there because the first ride I got took me all the way to Shawns work. Stopping in Manuel Antonio for a drink on the way there.

The time in Jaco was awesome. They took me to where Shawn proposed to Hannah for a drink at sunset… (see photo) the night I got there. And then Hannah and I hung out because shawn ended up having to work most of the time… we had breakfast with a bunch of other woman (I made crepes) and then we went surfing… (my second time ever) we paddeled to the “outside” and I tried to get up on some waves. And didn’t succeed. Instead I got “taco’d” which means that I got dumped on by a big wave. My board (attached to my ankle) kept going and I got pushed to the bottom of the ocean. And then flipped over in an involuntary full bow pose as my board went in one direction and my body was going in the other direction. Resulting in a backwards summersault under water. I put one vertebrae out… and am now hobbling around. But before that pain set in we played in the smaller waves for a while and I stood up and road 4 waves in all the way to the beach. I cut my arm on the board… and so with multiple injuries im officially a surfer!

The rest of the day we hung out and I got my hair cut and colored. (I feel like a girl again)
And even got “tica” pedicures.. I now have flowers on my toe nails (stop laughing! Its not funny!)
Then I got up this morning, had breakfast wit Hannah. and started the trip back.

The way back was good. But it took 8 different rides to come back.

1) actually turns out to be Shawns next door neighbor even though I caught up with him just outside of Jaco.
2) Man in blue truck. Hes not married. no girlfriend. And no kids. Me on the other hand happened to be happily in love with my boyfriend who was waiting for me in Dominical (if you know what I mean)
3) Was a shoe sales man on his way to Quepos (a town half way between dominical and jaco)
4) Was a guy who was running a tourist company with horse riding and such. He wanted me to email him in the future. (not sure what for)
After walking a 1 km or 2…
5) was the milk men. Both got girlfriends. Actually 3rd anniversary today for the driver. They had milk and cheese in the back…
(why you ask do I know if all of these people are married etc? well in my very limited Spanish… I find it’s the first thing I get ask a lot of the time. Tiene un Nobio? Esta Casada? So it’s the topic of conversation that I can understand the most. They tell me other stuff but half the time I don’t know what they are saying… so I nod and smile.)

6) was my favorite.. I got to sit in the back of a ute (pick up truck) with two school girls… and when they got off I had it to myself… dust in my face. Wind in my hair… its defiantly the way to travel in costa rica on the dirt roads. No im not being sarcastic… its great)
7) a man with 7 children. (with mothers that were old enough to also be his children from what I could tell from the photos) who was on his way to golfito.

And alas I was back in Dominical!

for a bit of a laugh...

2005-12-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

to support my dear friend Amo Beechwill in his "what we need quest" i did his suggestion and typed into google. "kelly needs" so see if what they came up with had any baring on my life. surprisingly it was quite accurate... here was the results in order.

1) a global home
2) Kelly needs to prepare and think about a hundred different things (on a dailybasis).
3) Kelly MUST GO (somebody should tell them im already long gone)
4) KELLY NEEDS HER BROTHER BACKSTAGE
5) Kelly Needs Modesty
6) Kelly needs your vote this Saturday!
7) Kelly needs to get off her ass

i particually like the last one... and number 5.

so dear bloggers... i suggest you try it yourself and let me know how the results go...

love and pixie dust.

"from here you can almost see the sea..."

2005-12-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

well... actually you can see the sea from here. i just love that david gray song...

As my time in costa rica comes to an end I thought I would share with you a few photos of the place where im living here. Already I have posted a photo of the view, but I thought you would like to see a couple of my room.

As you can see I have some of the comforts brought with me, such as my sari, and my bed cover.
The view from my bed past my dream weaver out to the ocean is one of my favorite details.

My friend “banana bread mike” (as you can imagine… we were instant friends) talked to a Tico Shaman a couple of days ago and he was told that the rain season would end on the 8th dec. this was yesterday. And as you can tell by this photo, I think he was right…

By 8.30am I have already done 2 hours of yoga. Been for a swim and Sun bathed to dry off while reading my book. I know it sounds like im bragging. But after working 20 hour days on movie sets… I have to say Im loving it.

Anyway… this is all for now. im going to be having a little gathering next week with some friends to “hasta luego” (see you later) so will be sure to include some photos of them then.

Love and pixie dust.

december already

2005-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

well hello dear people.

can you believe that its already december.

last week i returned for the 3rd and last time this year to Peuto Viejo. i got my passport stamped. (and didnt even have to leave the beach) and did all my xmas shopping. (yes i know the passport thing is kinda dodgy. but lets face it. sometimes you just got go with the flow and take a chance - and for the low low price of $... you can get a tico to spend 3 hours on a bus and back date your stamps for you.) but of course this is just what i have heard... the stamps are perfectly legal. as they say here "im illegally getting a legal visa"
if only my country would make an agreement with Costa Rica so i didnt have to do it every 30 days. (canada and the USA get 90 days)

upon my return im filled wtih mixed emotions about leaving here, and being away from my toronto friends at such a festive time.

however being here has got me straght on a few things. i need a Bath. not a cold shower (althoug i need one of those as well) or a luke warm or even hot shower. but a BATH!
i need a home that i can call my own. the suitcase is just not cutting the mustard anymore. (did you ever think you would hear those words come out of my mouth?) and im sick of non profit work.

if you stay posted over the coming months we shall see how these Devine wishes evolve!

so... on that note im going to go and get some ice cream.

love and pixie dust.

SUNDAY… DAY OF REST!

2005-11-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

Yeah right. Up at 5.30am, leaving the house by 7am to go Jet Skiing in the river with my friends Don, Carlos, Yvonne and Willy. All sounds like a fun filled day, except for one thing the locals forgot to tell us, and that was that as you go up the river its infested with crocodiles.

Yvonne and I took out one of the Jet Ski’s together, up the river that was a good 100 meters wide, with mangroves either side, dodging floating logs and debris. (sometimes you just blank out the obvious as you do things to try and tell you that your not in danger) As Yvonne and I flew up the river we came across two quite big logs floating, and as we went in between them we realized that it was in fact two 6-7 foot crocodiles. As we got closer (or speed past them) they ducked down out of site. Yvonne and I didn’t say anything to each other, except that maybe we should slow down, turn around and head back. About half the way back both of us started howling with nervous laughter as we acknowledged to each other that we had seen the crocs, and that tobogganing behind the jet ski was now defiantly out of the picture! Being 10am we decided that we were in much need of a stiff Shirley temple, and upon arriving back at the dock the boys said that they had never seen two women get off a jet ski, get dressed and head to the bar so quickly.

And THAT was the end of me wanting to go jet skiing in the river!

Happy Sunday everyone.

Love and pixie dust.

a couple of firsts...

2005-11-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hello again.

So I thought I would write to tell you about two “firsts” for me today.
The first one is that I was stung by a scorpion. On the top third of my little finger. It was about 1.5 inches long. And dark brown in colour. Apart from that side of my hand going numb, and the sting itself hurting like hell, I seem to be fine. Which is good.

Secondly I was walking across the bridge this morning to town and in the middle of the river (that runs into the sea) was a crocodile. Its head was about 1.5 feet long and its body was about 1 foot wide. Not sure how long that would make it in total length. But defiantly didn’t make me want to go swimming.

That’s all for now!

Love and pixie dust.

SCORE!

2005-11-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

So im sitting outside the local mini supermarket the other day working on my emails (while acquiring wireless internet for free). And two gentlemen from the real estate office walk past me commenting on how hard I work!

As I left to go home I walked past these two men and the invited me to sit with them a minute and chat. Long story short… I befriended one of the gentlemen who as it happens needed to go to san jose this week for 4 days. And needed a house sitter. SCORE!

So im currently sitting on top of the world. ocean view to die for on one side, and the valley of the gods on the other. not being able to wake up later than 5am (because the huge amount of wild life up here.) I get to do my yoga practice by the “infinity pool” (see photo of view with corner of pool and view) as the sun comes up.

Needless to say, im feeling pretty dam lucky at this opportunity to spend a couple of days in surroundings that take even a pixies breath away.

Also for your amusement, I have attached a photo of me doing the toucan zip line at the nature reserve at the bottom of the hill.

Hope you are all well, and love getting your comments… thanks for reading.

Love and pixie dust.

you can call me...

2005-11-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

little ms surfer!

yes i did it. i got in the water with a huge board and attempted to stand up while being forcfully pushed from behind by a wave (dont you dare even say it). the first beach we went too got more and more intense until the big waves were just crashing one on top of the other. not being a big fan of gulping huge amounts of salt water we decided to go down about 6 km down and got in the water at Dominicalito where it was alot calmer and the waves were more spread out. but still good. i sort of stood up 3 times. rode one in on my belly because i was giggling too much to stand up. and overall had a great time.
i actually think i will give it another go in a couple of days... thats right. you might make a surfer chick out of me yet!

the other first that i did this morning was i finally accomplished a tripod headstand in my yoga practise. thats where you balance on your wrists with you knees in your armpits (crane) and then slowly lower your head to the floor with your palms still on the ground and then lift yourself up into a headstand. anyway... very pleased.

am coming to some realisations about my life in general laterly too. very exciting stuff. im getting a sense of where i want to live. not exactly which country. but in what style i want to live. anyway... as that unfolds ill be sure to keep you updated.

till then
love and pixie dust.

the votex.

2005-11-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

well hello again.

i went to VP. and decided to come back early due to a clash of objectives. its amazing to me how the west coast and carribean side are so different, and some ways so similar.
the main thing that got to me on this trip was the drug abuse that is so prevalent there. so on the buss home yesterday i wrote this little ditty that i thought i would share.

love and pixie dust.

"travelling solo
back to sanctuary
having left the bubble
where light beings fly
bumping thier heads
as they try to get out
slowly dieing
from fumes consumed

im saddened to my core
as i turn my back on thier longing eyes
lined with dark rings

i can see straight though to thier souls
as they inhales themselves to non reality.
still with the hope of getting out
they play
thier bodies standing but weak
as thier souls fade away.

i hear the rice and beans are good.

2005-11-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

After starting our day at 6.30am, driving a van that wouldn’t go out of second gear, then catching a bus for 5 hours, the fiasco at the border was enough to test anyone’s desire for sunshine.
We had idiotic boys following us around trying to speak on behalf of us and talking to us in such a way that was making any attempts to get over the border more difficult than they had to be. We tried very politely to get him to go away, explaining that we had no intention of paying him to make our lives easier and with him finally getting the message I had to go into damage control in what I would like to call Spanglish. The problem was that we were returning to Costa Rica via a ferry and therefore didn’t have a return bus ticket. Think of 10 ways you can say “no please sir, we return via ferry on Monday” and I tried them all. finally share pig headed persistence, smiling though our teeth with the air of “we are poor travelers, and we cant afford to buy bus tickets that we will never use, please just let us though” and finally he did.

We got back on the bus only for Whitney to exclaim with full enthusiasm that she hears that the rice and beans in panama are supposed to be better than those in Costa Rica. I think the look I gave her spoke volumes as we both cracked up with laughter and sat back in the bus dreaming of a bed and a stiff drink.

Unfortunately for us though the excitement for the day had only just begun. Having got to David, we preceded to be instantly running to the bus for the town that has the ferry to Bocos. The whole 3 hour mini van trip I was hanging on for dear life, and chanting mantras with my eyes closed as we passed trucks on blind corners in the rain at aprox 100km/hr. by the grace of god, and the roots that I imagined were coming out of the van preventing us from tipping over, we arrived in one piece only to be greeted by hasty horney young men ushering us into a taxi. I demanded 2 mins to myself waiting for my legs to catch up with the rest of me. We popped into the supermarket and brought 2 cans of Heinekins for $1.60 (score) for when we got to the hotel. We got into the taxi and asked to be driven to a nice hotel. Being only two of them in the town the nice aspect of the one we stayed at was the fact it was noticeably infected with cockroaches. We pulled up in a street that looked like it was in lockdown ready for war, and was ushered into a side door with two armed military men standing outside. There were boards on the windows and police driving past every 30 seconds which Whitney thought was a good sign. We decided to go to bed with a door that was bashed in at the level of foot and head. And I lay awake all night listening to the brawls and fights happening around us.
As I lay there once again chanting my little head off I imagined images of sand, sun, surf and margaritas. The next morning not even wanting to take a shower in the bathroom we got up and left in a taxi for the ferry very determined never to visit that place again.

The town of Bocas itself was quite nice. Very American, very touristy, but pleasant considering the night before. We stayed at a resort that was to officially open up in a week so instead of paying $85 for the room we only payed $20. we extended the offer of beautiful cheap accom to 4 swiss boys that we met on the ferry. All very nice fellows, looking for the perfect wave, a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer and a journalist, who filled their time with playing the wonderfully childish game of Asshole. Never being one to humor myself with such idiotic behaviour I quickly found that if you didn’t speak swiss, or play asshole, you were on the outside. Whitney didn’t speak swiss but her asshole technique had them all jumping over each other to play with her. after 3 days of checking out the sights, the beautiful beaches, the quante houses on the water, and the evenings filled with other people drinking and playing the famous game. We decided to leave while I still had my sanity and took off for the comfort of Peuto Veijo. I had never been so happy to leave cute boys, see I am changing!

The best part about Bocas was the water taxi ride as you leave. It goes across the ocean and then heads inland down a canal that the Chiquita banana people made to have the ships transport bananas in bad weather. locals that lived on the banks were truly amazing probally the furthest I have been from bloor st in my life.
The taxi to the border let us stop at the banana factor – see photo. The reluctantly let us back into Costa Rica as we once again didn’t have documentation to say when we were leaving, but I have never been so happy to walk across ricky bridge that was only wide enough for a truck so as they pass you, you had to hang out over the side of the bridge with all your stuff. But we were back in costa rica and very pleased for it.

The last 3 days we spent in Peuto Veijo, the weather was good, the food was great, the locals were interesting especially the ones that lived under “crack bridge” (no its not going to fall down) and met some amazing people to hang out with. I dressed as a earth pixie for Halloween (how surprising) and had a great time blessing the Rastafarians that were high on crack sitting on the side of the road.

So amazing that with the arrival of my friend Izzy from Toronto, we are planning to return to PV tomorrow for yet some more sun, surf and scooter fun!

this is my halloween costume! i ran around as a pixie blessing everyone! even the crack heads.

The trip as a hole was eye opening, amazing, and very rewarding. I learnt a lot about myself, a lot about Whitney, and appreciated every moment (even though not every moment was enjoyed)

Love and pixie dust.

DESTINATION: PANAMA

2005-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Having finished my first draft of my book, and my first 30 day stint in Costa Rica coming to an end. i have decided seeing as I have to go down to the boarder anyway, to go with my friend Whitney to spend a couple of days on the Island of Boca in Panama! Its on the Carribian side so it will be good to see a sun rise rather than set for a couple of days!

Whitney is a Texan belle, who has lived here for the last 8 months after buying her gorgeous little house (I call it a shack) on Playa de Guapil. The beach!
She seems to have as a spontaneous “lets wing it” type of attitude as I do, and are both very excited about our little upcoming vacation from our vacations!

As I mentioned ive just finished my first draft of my little book, and my editor Adey will soon be working furiously to understand what the hell im talking about. But that’s what editors are for right?

As for “home” the dogs are great, Sabina is once again away for the weekend this time to a silent retreat in San Jose, and Henrietta, and Harry the Iguanas are doing just fine!
For all my “monkey loving” guy friends out there, there have been quite a few sightings in the trees of late, bouncing around the trees hanging from their tails.

Well… wish me luck on my adventures in Panama!

Will take photos, I promise!

Love and pixie dust!

Monday Monday!

2005-10-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

Its taken me a couple of days to get this up, but its better late than never!

Monday was a very “interesting day”. It was the one year anniversary of my Grandmother (who I was very close too) passing over. So I got up extra early to do a Kelly styled memorial service thing.

I love the time of day when its dark when you get out of bed and you get to watch the world awake. Just can anyone tell me why you have to get up so dam early to do it? why cant the sun rise at 10am like me? and not 4.30am!

So with my “everything is going to happen earlier today” routine going on. I got on the quad and tottled off down to Dominical to do my emailing for the day. (my little taste of technology that keeps my sanity from being washed away with the rain!)

Upon my arrival I learnt that the entire phone system, both cellular and land line had been down since Saturday (the last time I was there was Friday) and because the internet café is dial up, there was nothing to be done until the phones were back. OI VAI!
Having decided to hang out for a while and “see what happens” I did the only thing I know how to when there’s nothing else to do. I looked to make a new friend! (yes i can see you smiling behind your screen in acknowledgment of my incessant chatting to random people)

The most colorful people I could find (by colorful I mean people who are very different from me, giving me something new to learn about, a new perspective to understand and broaden my perspective on life = great conversation) literally walked right in the door. They were three Rastafarians who lived and breathed their philosophy on life, right down to the Red, Yellow, and Green of it. (if you know what I mean).
They introduced themselves to me as “Rasimani”, “Jahricio”, and “Pepe”. All three “Costa Rican born and bread” had performed the night before at a Reggae music night not far from Dominical. “The place had views like you wouldn’t believe” I was informed many times by “Rasi” – who I swear was the spitting image of Bob Marley himself!

Have you ever seen “men in black” (one or two) do you remember the aliens in the kitchen, really skinny, fun loving, lotsa banta, and hanging with the coffee? Well these guys were the human forms. After exhausting the conversation of the philosophy of Rastafarian lifestyle, dogmatisms, and the many wonderful qualities and implementations of cannabis. I took for a dip in the ocean, on what was the best weather day yet. but not before a few photos were taken of my “new friends” for your enjoyment.
Peace and Love!

Tell me, have you ever….

2005-10-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Been sitting down to a nice dinner. Desert actually, Bananas (and for anyone who know knows how much I love bananas this will be extra amusing!!) with honey on top. And just as your about to put the second slice in your mouth have a Bat fly straight for your head? Hmmm. Me neither until tonight.

I got a fright, sure wouldn’t you?. And I could handle one. but then it was two, three, four… (a family reunion of banana loving bats!) flying all around us at the table. Jean Guy and Gerardo didn’t flinch. Not a single acknowledgement of the flying vampires! (I thought you would find this amusing Micheal!) Me on the other hand. Have crawled up on my chair into the fetal position. Hoovering down as much banana as I could before they took over. As soon as I had finished. I jumped up. Exclaimed my disgust at the top of my voice and went to do the dishes. Jean Guy and Gerardo just sat their eating slowly with smiles on their faces… ah.. men!

And what about me you ask?

2005-10-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say, that the last couple of days has been practically rough.

Sabina is gone, so im basically here by myself. (not counting the four dogs. – see photo. Sucha is camera shy) and I have to say. That day one its great. Day two its ok. But the rest of them, its dam hard being here by yourself. On Wednesday I did a one day cleans, and drank this horrible concoction all day. By Wednesday night was so violently ill, and physically whipped out that I just couldn’t move. I didn’t sleep much that night. The mugginess, and my stomach just didn’t want to play nice. So Thursday I woke up. Threw up once more for luck. And could do nothing for the rest of the day.

When you don’t speak the language, (and there’s no one to speak it to anyway.) you cant read because your eyes are so heavy with exhaustion, you have no tv. No phone. And walking to the door makes you light headed. You have nothing to do but think. Feel sorry for yourself, and wish you were at “Sushi on Bloor” with a couple of your friends.

Thursday night I ate. Not much but some, and kept it down, Gerrado, and Jean Guy, came over to give me a Spanish lesson which was mildly entertaining, as I watched them both munch down plain long spaghetti, (that’s all I could keep down). But that 24 hours has defiantly put a new light on things. (for the time being anyway) namely. What the HELL am I doing here?

So you think this is paradise eh?

2005-10-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I ventured on the “quad” (that’s a four wheeler to all south of the equator) to the little town 6km south of me to Dominical.

6km is not very far, but it is really when every 20 secs you have to stop or slow down to 2nd gear just to get though a humongous pothole. (which is usually a pond because of the rain). It’s the only stretch of road (Quepos – Dominical) from the USA to South America that is still dirt. Yet. it dosnt stop the articulated trucks going down it. making it all the worse. This road I tell ya makes going anywhere a real “effort”

It was in dominical that I met a man called mike. Mike has been sitting in his hammock on the beach selling home made baking for 20 years. he runs the dog rescue for dominical. And apart from that. Well…. I have no idea.
I mentioned something about how lucky I was to be able to come and live in Paradise for a couple of months while I write. And his reply was… “so you think this is paradise eh? Then tell me. how come everyone here is so sad? How come there is so much “drama”? I sit here everyday and just watch the soap operas unfold. Its actually quite depressing”

It got me thinking… and I realized how much I had been told about the real Costa Rica already but had blocked it out behind the palm trees. After all Costa Rica, (the real one. not the tourist retreat one) is a 3rd world country, with huge problems, that is being advertised to the dreamer at a huge price.

For example. Let me share with you some of the realities of this place.

Tico (costa rica native) vs. Gringo (American)
There is a huge problem down here with the clash of the cultures. Land (especially beach front) is being brought up by Gringo’s and sold for $500,000 and up. Which is all very well. Except half the time this peace of beachfront paradise that you have just brought has no access road, no water, no electricity and a huge cockroach infestation. The prices have now made it such that no Tico can possibly “better” their living situations by moving house because its just not financially realistic and ill tell you why.

The minimum wage in Costa Rica is 400 calonas/hour. (that’s about 75 cents US) if you have a good job then you get about 700 calonas/hour (roughly $1.40 USD).

A town up the mountain not far from where im living (not sure of its name) came to its demise a couple of weeks ago. You see, some Gringos had purchased some land above this town, but it wasn’t flat enough for them, so they had been bulldozing it to flatten it out. In the course of this bulldozing, they had put the left over dirt to one side. Along came, mother nature, and the raining season and dislodged the dirt down the hill and into the path of the river that runs from the top of the mountain in the sea by where I live. (this is the paddock by the sea that was whipped out.)
The river with its more than normal water level had to go somewhere… so it re routed itself into this town. Literally whiping out EVERY house there. (most of which had been there for 50 years.) these people, now homeless, could go and live with friends and families, but with their wages being so low and prices of building going so high (cause gringos will pay a lot for a house to be built so why do it for next to nothing?) they cant afford to. So they only thing they can do to get assistance is go and live in the local school. (just down the road from me) this is the only way that the government will have to acknowledge their situation and give them new houses. Meanwhile, this was 3 weeks ago. And none of the local kids can go to school! Because people are living in it!. which means that their parents have to stay home and look after them. which means they cant go to work. Which means they have less money coming in than usual.
And all because A HILL WASN’T FLAT ENOUGH FOR A MANSION!

I would keep going. But quite frankly I think that’s enough for one day.

such a special girl!

2005-10-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

hello everyone!

so today i have into San Isidro to do some shopping (about an hour from where im living) and i actually have good internet access for a change. so i thought i would introduce my personal bodyguard - Gerrardo.

you see Sabina is going away from 11 days. so its me and the dogs. no phone. no interent. im not quite sure how im surposed to survive but ill try.

to make me feel alittle more comfortable Sabina has hired a personal body guard to be outside my cabin at night. armed and dangerous! he arrives a 5pm. and leaves at 5.30am when the gardner comes.

he kinda reminds me of my grandfather in many ways, which i find quite ammusing.

hope all in the world is well...

INTRODUCING!

2005-10-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

So I thought it would be good to introduce some of the main characters of this little adventure of mine.

My hostess with the mostess is the lovely Sabina. A polish woman of 60, who lived in Canada for near on 30 years before endeavoring on a Costa Rican retirement 6.5 years ago. This being a retirement that never stops working, which is good because Sabina never stops moving! She has a heart of gold, wisdom and stories to boot, and all be it that she has a son that is older than I, she always talks to me like a long lost friend. She has a simple house about 50 steep steps above the cabin that I am living in. this means that visiting Sabina = butt work out! But she has the internet (when its not raining, if the cell phone likes us, and we tilt our head to the left) so shes sure to see me every morning. There will be much more about Sabina as my time here unfolds, that I am sure of.

Her dear friend and next door neighbor Jean Guy (pronounced ‘Gungi’ kinda like jungle) is a 70 year old French Canadian man who “retired” to Costa Rica in 79. He exclaims whole heartedly that he never worked hard until he came to Costa Rica. His driveway up to his water pump (which is 20 steps below his house. I mean hut. I mean house) is mearly a bit of jungle that doesn’t have trees so you can actually walk in a straight line. This was until today, when Sabina and I helped him shovel river stones mixed with dirt, to try and level it out a little. DAMED HARD WORK! Especially when the afternoon rain came to help out.

The conversations between the three of us was a real sight. Jean Guy would speak to either of us sometimes in French, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English with an French Canadian accent so strong that it might as well be Japanese. But to see them work, I tell ya. For 60 and 70 years of age, a 20 something would find it hard to keep up. I would shovel my butt off, and Jean Guy would ask “cest mon torn” (its my turn to shovel) and I would let him only when I couldn’t shovel another stone. He played the marcho man. But I could tell that he was grateful for the help. Afterwards we trekked up to his house, cursing at the squirrels for dropping the cacao beans (chocolate beans before they are chocolate) on the ground, making him have to bend down to get them. You see Jean Guy makes chocolate, and wine out of anything that will ferment. He has two rules in life, don’t work after 2pm, and don’t drink before 6.45am. Quite the character. But I guess you would have to be to live in a place like this.

HOLA!

2005-09-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Yes! That’s right! Ive made it! Im now in Costa Rica!

And it’s a case of so far… so good!

After the initial shock of the fact that I don’t even know how to ask where the bathroom is, (hand signals don’t work so well for this ive found out) I think im doing ok!

Today was day one, how did you spend it you ask? Well ill tell you. First I got up at 7am (ok so its was 9am Toronto time) quickly got dressed and ran up the hill to email my loved ones. It took OVER AN HOUR to get on the internet. I managed to reach varying degrees of “almost on” before it would kick me off again. It defiantly was a great lesson early on in Costa Rican patience. (Something I don’t have much of.) im very accustomed to rolling over in bed, with one eye open breathing life into my laptop with a touch of my finger, and having broadband do the rest for me!

I then proceeded to do my yoga practice while being distracted by the 2 geckos that decided to engage in foreplay on the platform next to me while I was trying to do asana!

Then, after a shower, I fried plantain, and sat at a solo table with the jungle as my TV screen. Much to my delight the CSR equivalent was on as I watched a 2 foot Iguana make his way from one branch to another as it started the daily down pore of rain. (I called it Henry, then found out it was probably a girl)

To let the brunch go down I lounged on the hammock to read, and found this unbelievably tiring. So had a nap. (yeah I know… jealousy will get you nowhere!)

The evening was spent celebrating 3 birthdays of the woman from the surrounding houses. Where I got a entertaining lesson (entertaining for them. Not me. as they laughed at my attempts and broken Spanish) in general Spanishisms.

Macho – White Male
Macha – White Woman
Grengo – American (if your white your American until proven otherwise!)
Tico – Someone from Costa Rica. (they took great pleasure when I tried to explain that the equivalent for a New Zealander was “Kiwi” (IM NOT A FRUIT!))

So… all and all a great first day!

Ill miss it, ill miss it not.

2005-09-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

With every major change in life that you know about in advance you always get that spot where I am now where your torn between what you will miss, what you wont, excitement about leaving, and pure dread about going.

ill defiantly miss the wonderful friends and extended family that I have here, but I defiantly wont miss the homeless people in yorkville that are bold enough to ask you straight out for a toonie. ($2)

I wont miss the suv porches that line up in traffic with me on the freeway in the morning all trying to get the downtown district.

but I will miss being able to sit on msn or talk on the phone with my loved ones whenever I feel like a little contact.

I wont miss the slush the snow makes on the 3rd day. nor my nose hairs freezing as I walk to the subway. But I will miss the peace and quite that envelopes the city upon new virgin snow.

ill miss sushi. But not the temptation of over priced ice cream from the corner store 20 feet away.

I guess what is running though my mind is ill miss it. Toronto that is. But life only goes in one direction. Forward. With a little prayer that some of the good things will still be here upon my return.

ps.

2005-09-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

I cant spell. so before you get your knickers in a twist about my lack of english expertise. imagine your grandmother in her underwear and smile :o)

The Great Packing Adventure.

2005-09-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

well... i guess i should say hello. and thank you for reading my blog.

im sitting in my appartment in toronto. surounded by boxes. suitcases, and general crap.

you see... im about to once again uproot my life. (i originally come from the other side of the world.) and jump off a cliff to see if i can fly. Destination Costa rica!

for 3 months. for me time. to write my book. (never written a book before. this could be interesting. horrifying. and just plain amusing) and hunt for that illusive navel.