So after experiencing the fun and exciting cites of Mexico City, I headed south to Cuernavaca in time for Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead). The city is alive and buzzing. I bought two chocolate skulls for the kids in my family yesterday. The colour orange is everywhere, lots of chocolates and bread. I'm headed to the graveyard tomorow on a field trip... i dont think I'm allowed to take pictures though...

This was my hostel gang for the last couple of days in Mexico City:

I am now in Cuernava... living with a BIG Mexican family and taking Spanish lessons. At the moment I have perfected the phrase "estoy inferma".... i have a really nasty cold.

I took this original picture in Mexico city thinking about how much Nat (i think it was nat) loves "Lucha Libre" only to arrive in Cuernavaca on Sunday and discover that my housemate from Tokyo is living in Mexico so that he can become a professional mexican wrestler!!!!

Oh... how the world is small. My Frespanol has now changed to Jespanol (Japan + Spanish). I am trying not to speak too much in Japanese because Ryota's muscles are much bigger than mine.

School is good... homestay is good...teachers are nice.... now if only I could get rid of my headache and nasty cold...

Ok... so since my last post... I've done many fun things... my Frespañol seems to be getting a bit better and am meeting lots of funky international people...

This is the view from my room in Mexico City:

And believe it or not... this is one of the doors in the parliament building:

Today I went and climbed pyramids in my sandles:

And ate a reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly BIG LUNCH:

And yes... that IS scooby doo on the TV behind us... apparently scooby speaks español.... WHO KNEW?

And learned how to make paper/needle/thread/clothing/alcohol from cacti... from a family that had 21 brothers and sisters!!!! YIKES...

Ciao for now:) Hope you can see the pictures if not i promise to fix them soon....

Hola!!!

Yup Im finally here. So for people who´ve been wondering what I`ve been up to for the last week.....

I went back to Kelowna and hung out with my sis and her family and continued playing with my website...

Then my friend Alwyn graciously drove me to the airport in the middle of the day:

I got onto the plane to seatle... i asked for a glass of wine AND I GOT ID`D!!!

So consequently I was very happy.

I landed in Los Angelas and my ex-roomie Gillian DROVE A WHOLE HOUR TO MEET ME!!! and we had dindin at 11pm.. (note gillian with cake)

After not sleeping on the plane... I got myself off the plane and found the metro at 6am and made my way to the youth hostel... slept for 2 hours... met a girl who's lived in Mexico for 5 years and works with indigenous people here and we ended up at a protest:
After that, the fact that I hadnt slept in about a day or eaten anything for about 14 hours caught up to me and I went to bed at 3pm and woke up at 9am. I think that's a record for me....

So that's it for now... am going out to have some fun!!!

ciao for now

HAPPY Tales of late.....

1) I FINALLY BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKET!!!! AM LEAVING ON TUESDAY FROM K-TOWN!!!!!!

2) BOOKED IN AT MEXICO CITY FOR THE FIRST 4 NIGHTS :)

3) BOOKED IN AT MY LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN CUERNAVACA WITH A HOST FAMILY (we'll see what that's like...)


other tales of late:


1) On monday, october 16th, I mourned the loss of my toe-nail.... it was a small ceremony, he was hard working, a true sportsman and will be missed by the other nine members. Particularly while I'm traveling and someone accidently steps on my foot... ouch!

2) Have spent some time visiting some old high school friends and their houses/children. Has been good remembering where I'm from and edifying..

Whew!!!! I've spent the last couple of days packing and repacking... I'm exhausted. Other than hang out with my parents and their B&B guests, (some people from Aggasis and a Japanese/Chinese gang from Vancouver) I haven't seen anyone else... I'm tempted to head off sooner at the moment rather than later as there are flights leaving to Mexico city for only $325 US.

People keep writing in asking about how the actual marathon was....

So here it is, the summary of my opus:

1) I didn't achieve my big goal of 3:30... I meandered in... body still in tact at 3:40.

2) This was the first race I've ever run with an I-pod and I was hoping that it would speed up my tempo.

3) Too bad I accidently recorded some Enya the night before... oh wells...it was a harmonious race instead.

4) The last song that rang in my ears as I approached the finish line was "It's the end of the world as we know it" by Great Big Sea... seemed appropriate

So I've sent a picture. This is me at a good moment... probably near the beginning of the race... notice I am smiling, happy... it almost looks like I'm skipping. Notice the girl that I am running next to also seems happy... out for a morning jog even!

Note: I won't be sending pictures of me at the end of the race as I drag myself across the finish line... nerves twitching, body shaking, leg muscles slowly digesting themselves or the ungraceful part where I try to lunge myself ahead of the others barely crawling accross the finish line!

Happy Feet!!!! My post-marathon toes and toe-nails are all still in-tact;)

Fun times in Slammin' Arm.

I arrived last night at my parents (note the view from the B&B) and am beginning to do the final pack before leaving for the big trip. In the mean time, I'm puttering attempting to come up with names for my business website offering courses in interpreting/translating/cross cultural communication for businesses, universities and governments. Feel free to email me with names or let me know what you think of the following: (feel free to post on the blog:)

Cultureaxis.com
Cultureleague.com
Culturebloc.com
Xculture.com (taken)
Culture?.com
Xculturalsolutions.com
Xculturezone.com

Names that have to do with the Greek god of translation/messenging: Mercury/hermes

Culturemercury.com
Hermeslingua.com
Xculturalmessenger.com
Xculturalmessaging.com
Xlingua.com
Xentialskills.com

Xculturaltraining

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!/ MARATHON #10

So I'm still in K-town. Yesterday was an epic event:

1) I ran 42.2 km marking my 10th marathon

2) I placed 8th in my category

3) My toenail began to fall off

4) Went to the spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

5) I marked my first thanksgiving with my sister Michelle and her ever-growing family. Thanksgiving dinner consisted of 13 people....

Michelle (sis),

Brent (little brother in-law),

Nan (grandmother in-law),

Sharon (aunt in-law),

Amber (new niece),

Jordon (new nephew),

Brandon (Amber and Jordon's bro),

Hyun-ji (faux-niece),

Alwyn (friend),

Rob (Alwyn's bro),

Kristen (Rob's wife),

Issy (their baby),

Paul (Mich's friend)....

Folks in the picture waiting at the finish line are Kafka (the happy dog who doesn't look like a bug), Rob (brother of Alwyn), Alwyn (colleague and friend), yours truly, little brother Brent, Amber (new niece), Kristen (sis in-law of Alwyn), and baby Issy.

Today, my muscles are sore, the sun is shining and I seem to have aquired a HUGE appetite.

Viva la Tylenol

Almost forgot... this was my final day with my group at work from Weifang City. I had a total blast teaching these people. I've never had a group of more cheery, dynamic, critically thinking civil servants. Notice me in the bottom right hand corner of the picture kind of melting into my chair. It was a blast!!!

So yes... after 4 years of babbling about moving on... spreading my wings blah blah blah.... I've finally done it.

Or at least I've managed to get all my junk.... (ok maybe not quite)... MOST of my junk out of my flat in Van. Promising to come and pick up the REMAINDER at some later date (Sorry to the ex-roomies).

Note the picture of Choji in front of the cake = my going away party. Very fun, thank you all.

So for thanksgiving, I'm in K-town prepping for my 10th and possible final marathon. Hanging with the BIG fam damily and some of OTHER People's family... good times.

Someone told me women marathon runners are supposed to peak in their thirties.

I think they lied.

In any case, this is my last chance to fulfill my goal of a 3:30 marathon before I'm 30. (We'll see what happens.)