Come in.. I live here

I was in a coffee shop today and looked up to a map of the world on the wall ! I looked to the upper left of the map and said "Canada.... I live here" and looked to the bottom far right and pointed at "Home" ! Time has flown by since my transition to the cold that I need to stop and pinch myself (or look at a world map) to realise that this was not my normal existence or life before a month and a half ago ! It fascinates me ! I feel as though i successfully co-exist in two different locations !

Come In.. this is Canada.. I live here !

My new world is vastly different to my old one... polar opposite in all the obvious ways... but how quickly you adapt. -2 is now considered warm after a week of -25. I would never even consider walking outside without shoes on, or in less than 2 layers of clothing, powder is a frequent word in my vocabulary and I find myself constantly trying to remember whether i count 5 hours backward of forward then switch to convert Canadian time to Aussie time.

I have not been home sick since i arrived, I only wish that sometimes certain people were with me to experience the moment. I frequently walk into shops that are playing songs that remind me of moments.. and I smile... and I love that maybe people in Canada also had experiences or moments to these songs and maybe they are in Australia thinking the same thing ! I sure hope so.. it's Grand ! And people still ride pushy's here.. nothing like a pushy to make you think of Aus !

Some photos attached to keep it real ! I vow to post more photos soon there are so many... and will document my activities... i have purchased a snowboard... its amazing.. me on the snowboard.. not so much !

Vermillion Lakes... it still amazes me that giant bodies of water can freeze

Ah snow angel !

This was a particularly cold day... I thought my fingers were NEVER going to regain feeling

Banff town.. when i first arrived... still probably partially Brown

Fancy a ride ...

well hello CANADA

It is about 2 am in the (cold) city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I just had a strange enough dream of a guy with a bomb - it was quite startling as i can't remember the last time i had a scary dream, well scary enough to wake me. I guess that is also because I don't every day 'blow my life as I know it' to pieces and move to the other side of the world ! So that is my rationale and it seems pretty valid so I am going to stick with it.

After 28 hours of being in international transit, visiting 4 different airports in 3 different countries, I made it to Calgary to a bone shaking 0 (zero) degree temperature ! I'm not sure I have ever experienced these sort of temperatures. You 'breath smoke' 90% of the time - something I use to only be able to achieve on those early early mornings waiting for the school bus back in the early 2000's, the only part of your body left uncovered is your face and the cool air brushing against your cheeks makes you smile at its fierce intention. I need to still learn a few things - so far I have done pretty well with the layering - may have actually been a little to warm today - but my poor ears need a little more protection if I do say so myself.

Calgary is a charming city. At night when i was en-route by bus to my hotel it looked eerie and dark. The trees in the mid of winter were bare from leaves making it quite the horror setting. By day it is moderately lively. I ventured a little out of the city by foot and saw where they hold the Calgary Stampede in Summer a great western event (Mum would love it), I also saw a squirrel. I always vow to not take meaningless pictures of animals but it was to cute and in the wild - so 2 slipped in. I caught a LRT (train) to go to a great shopping mall in search of winter gear and even saw some cable snow boarding in Steven's Avenue. It is Halloween holiday weekend here - I gained some "candy" from the Bank of Montreal as i was setting up a bank accounts this morning - charming. The fun of this weekend turns full grown adults into characters of their youth and boy do they enjoy it. I managed to hunt out an Elvis, some characters from The Incredibles, Star trek characters, and Wonder Woman - riding a bike !

Everything is traveling a little to smooth, where you are almost holding your breath waiting for it all to fall apart ! Together is good, I like together ! I head to Banff tomorrow - The Rocky wonderland. I look forward to being immersed in stunning scenery. You can see the beginning of the magical rockies from Calgary city (as it is so flat up until there). Snow is forecast in the coming weeks - what a treat !

Tea for two...

and two for tea... A perfect afternoon with the prettiest pink tulips in a teapot.

Betty Crocker came out of the pantry and i even surprised myself at my ability to follow a recipe and make the most perfect marshmallow, chocolate tarts, mars bar slice, cheese cake oh and the list continues... DELIGHTFUL

Time has flown

Oh how time has flown... i have neglected my blog... just like when i start reading a book and three months later must pick up from where i left off... and re-hash along the way.

The bird quote we have in our house today says... live in the moment; discover delight in the simple things. My moments have been epic and manic and some what irrational and at the same time amazing and liberating and enlightening. I have had some great moments in the last few months... gah... amazing times..

80's are alive and kicking !!!

Op shopping... L.O.V.E... found this amazing black dress at an op shop just around the corner ! My flat mate organised a tea party for this weekend, so we were searching for old school "my Nana would have had one" teapots... we did fine one.. but i found 2 dresses !

One of them you will find below the other i plan to wear the the tea party on the weekend and promise to document the day that will be filled with LOTS of delightfully bad food and great friends :-) The paper garlands will be making a presence at this party and we have a long way to go with icing Red Velvet cupcakes and putting the coconut on Caramel Coconut slice !

paper delight ***

I MADE PAPER GARLANDS.... i sat at our kitchen bench and cut up beloved past issues of Frankie Magazine - full of amazingly cute pictures and when i had close to 80 circles preceeded to cut glue then and hole punch and thread and .... PAPER GARLAND :-)

I am super excited to have created these.... oh I also sewed a dress... and half of a cute little doll creature... NB: i have never really sewed before.... it's all looking up ! Now some pics of my garlands....

rockstars have stolen my son...

i hart music.... alot of music....

drifting through life...almost ghost like ...

fickle kind finish last....

Human beings are fickle characters. I just learnt this recently in quite a few turn of events. Fickle in nature, emotion and action – I believe with age this increases. I think this is why I find it peaceful to photograph children. Maybe there isn’t always a motive behind their way of being they simply exist within a moment.

I admit I to am fickle in nature but I am going to make a conscious effort to be less. This maybe comes with confidence and knowing what you want and not settling. I often speak of not settling for something that isn’t just quite right – something’s are so close to perfect it’s easy to make excuses for the little things – but once you know what is amazing you should not compromise. Amazing is just that.

Where for art though truthful aspiring people… the world needs you … or at least I do.

clouded sense of being

smells like SUNDAY

Today was Sunday...

Usually my days roll from one to another with very little deviation... A Monday could very well be a Wednesday; and on the work front Tuesday is sometimes deemed Friday. But today it was Sunday in every sense of the word. I don't know what makes Sunday so special. I am not overly religious so it was not what the church would consider a day of rest- but a great Sunday it was.

My morning started with a moderately early breakfast and movie gathering with some lovely and genuine people. I have lived in this little patch of paradise for much of the last 6 years and therefore have formed a rather tight niche of friends - some who now have moved on to greener of cooler pastures but none the less remain in the niche. It's because of this lovely little (or not so little) niche of amazingly genuine friends i tend to neglect the more recent friends i have made whom whilst are not in the 'inner' sanctum (probably to their advantage) are none the less fantastic people. Today i decided to embrace this and had a great time chatting over green tea (a recent staple favourite) and catching a girlie block buster. Nice to chill and not be thinking of the next item on the list and with no agenda.

The rest of the day followed much the same... it was a glorious winters day... a perfect 26 degrees, and was for most part a lazy afternoon. Took in a brief trip to an eco festival - made a tea purchase under the instruction and guidance of a good friend (always up for some great tea), took in some folk music and mindlessly the afternoon became exempt.

Ah and it is back at Monday...

This week i have indulgent pastures to roam that include

1 - Listening to more music from 'Two Door Cinema Club'

2 - Catching some sunshine... although a tan is suspicious for the winter

3 - Drinking some delicious tea... maybe a visit to the T2 website...

I might do something random... this random act i haven't thought of yet.. but don't hold your breath... mainstream life may interfere ! oh and there is a lot of mainstream to live... hang on to your hats people... its rolling...

on a mission to make something happen

So i downloaded a new template and decided to give my blog a new lease on life ! An update I guess you could call it.. a new take on this blogging !

I am heading on an overseas adventure in T minus.... 4 months.... that's only a third of a year away... and considering i don't know where the other two thirds of the last year have gone... that is not to far ! So i have re developed this blog to TRACK my adventures... or lack of adventures !

I might post some of my favourite pics ! I love photography... i have to be in the mood to take photos and am my best critic... extreme critic ! I wish i was a perfectionist in more areas of my life ! I may just babble so ignore my rhetoric thoughts on existence and "my mission in life" it can get dull...

So that i guess is my purpose... It can only get better from here....