Headed to Portland

In the early hours of the morning I am headed to Portland, Oregon on the train with Ed. It should be a very interesting 4 days! haha. It’ll be cool to be in a different country again and I look forward to doing a bit of shopping!! I am sure that he will be blogging all about the trip, so I probably wont be but keep checking out my flickr for photos. I may even post some snippets but we shall see how we go.
Hope everyone is well!

I am here where I found myself

I just saved myself from a ninja canadian spider. He was doing a mission impossible move, coming down from the air vent above my bed. FREAKY! And he was the biggest spider I have seen over here. FREAKY! Haha.
I just wanted to write down a few words for myself because thats the reason I started this blog and as it will be coming to an end very shortly I felt that was quite appropriate. I really cant explain how wonderful this journey has been for me, how much I have seen and how much I have learnt. I feel like I have changed and it is a welcome and timely change. I really have no idea what things will be like when I get back home, or what I’ll end up doing but thats half the fun I spose. I think the biggest change in me has been the passion I have grown for photography. Namely creative photography. I love combining words and photos and emotions. All of the beautiful landscapes have really inspired me and found their way into my work. It’s funny how you can intend to go down one path and then somehow end up finding it lead you somewhere totally different. I am looking forward to lots more exploring and travel in the future, this has certainly opened up a whole heap of doors and really hit me with the travel bug. I feel like I am where I am supposed to be in my life. Things arent perfect but I am happy. I have fulfilled a big dream I’d had for many years and along the way several littler dreams too. That’s a wonderful feeling!

Plans and news and stuff.

Hello!! Just thought I’d shoot off a quick post to update on my news.
It’s been very quiet on the Australian friends front. Hope everyone is ok.
I just booked a trip to Portland, Oregon for 4 days from the 16th August.
I am going to see the swell season play in stanley park on I think its 23rd August.
And then I’ll be arriving home in Australia on 28th August. I cant believe I only have 4 weeks left in Vancouver, it has been so amazing and such a wonderful trip.
I have learnt and grown and just.. wow. This is something everyone should do.
Next year I’m planning another trip – this time to Europe!!!
Thats about it, folks.

Recent stuff you might like..

Sorry for the absentness. I really have no excuse.
But here are some things I’ve been up to..

Thats my new film camera, Roger.
Here’s a shot he took.

We went up in this

we saw this

someone got reeeeally excited

then another day

organic blueberry lemonade!

chocolate cream banana pie!!

theres still snow in the hills!!

then another day

baseball!!! we saw the canadians play.

it was hot in the sun

some little snippets from the week

We found some giant sparrows in the city.

Ed ate a free sample at Whiterock beach on his birthday.

We walked along (and under) whiterock pier

We ate at milestones in West Van.

We went to a pow wow.

This was such an amazing experience for me. I got to dance with first nations dressed up in all their traditional regalia. I took it all in and I loved every minute of it.

Many more photos from my adventures on my flickr page, as usual.

Japa dog restaurant

Japa Dog is an institution here. Ed has been telling me about them for ages. They started as a little stall selling japanese inspired hot dogs and they now have a few around vancouver and a restaurant. Although its so tiny its not really a restaurant.

Anyway, we went along to give it a try.

I got the love meat one and ed got the… seaweed one. It was a little strange hahaha.

Dessert!!!

Mine = a choc coated banana in a long donut roll with cream hahaha. weird but quite good.

And we also went bike riding around Stanley Park. Although I dont have any bike shots to share.

But yes, it was a fun day.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

Today is Canada Day, Canadas version of Australia Day! hahaha. I think fireworks are planned and I might go to the city to check out the parades/music.

Happy Canada Day!!

car free day festivals

So the other week I met Edwin and we went down to check out the car free day festivals! “What are they Alesha?”, you ask me. Well basically once a year a few popular shopping streets/areas close down a busy street to cars and make a festival of it with performers and food and market stalls. HELL YEAH!!!!

We first went to Commercial Drive and then ended up at Main Street (or vice versa I cant remember).

There were all kinds of street performers like these crazy people. I have no idea what their story was! haha.

I even saw a police officer walk past who would have been close to 7ft tall. Ok maybe 6ft 5 but he was HUGE!!!!! So I was standing waiting to meet Ed and then I thought that he might be trying to sneak up on me. He has this thing with friends that when they meet up one of them tries to “shoot” the other one with a pretend gun. He told me this a while ago and ever since then I make sure to use my stealth and shoot him. EVERY TIME. And yes, again I saw him walking through the crowd and I ran behind him and then went “pow, pow, you’re dead.” hahahahaha. He was so annoyed that I killed him again! Sorry Ed, I am just STEALTH!

And then we went to get some food. Tim has told me to try this french dish called Poutine for ages and so Ed was game to get some with me. Poutine as Tim describes it is “french fries with cheese and curds and gravy.” It never really appealed to me. Ed and I both ordered the meat poutine, so that aleast it would have some meat and vegies to soak it up (that was the plan). Here is what came out.

WOAH indeed.
I’m not a fan of cheese curds. I didnt think I would be, but atleast I tried.

Snapped Ed as he was about to take a photo of his too. Ahhhh bloggers.

And so because Ed got the poutine I had to get his dessert, which was a deep fried mars bar. I have heard talk about it for years but was never game enough to try. Today was my day.

It was really quite strange. It was ok. The mars bar was a little melted and the pastry batter thing was really hard. Personally I prefer snickers to mars bars as I like the nuts hehe.

Then we came across some derby girls!! Ed loved this, as he has never seen them before. Haha!!

Oh AND we went into a kids shop and Ed found a new umbrella. There was a small lightsaber one and then this bigger samurai sword one. HILARIOUS. He was like a little kid in a candy shop.

Funny moment was when a man approached us with his son and told Edwin his son has been running after him saying “that guy has a sword!! a sword!! can i touch it?” hahahahaha.

Oh yes and then we came across these intoxicated people dancing. Ed yelled at them to keep going all day.

I bought a ring and a necklace. It was a fun day!!!

Johnny Rockets, Seattle

Hello there!! I know this has been a little while coming, but I thought you might like to see a little something from my trip to Seattle. On my last day I was wandering around in a shopping centre (mall) and I came across an oldschool American Diner!!! Naturally I went in!

It was called Johnny Rockets and they had little jukeboxes on each table and they were playing oldschool music.

I sat at the counter, where I had a good view of the chef and the whole place really.

And before too long out came my order.
An oreo cookies and cream shake

My goodness it was the best one I have ever had! It was SO decadent and creamy and with little bits of biscuit. SOSOSO good 🙂

I felt like I had to go for a bit of a walk afterwards hahaha.

I walk these streets like a ghost

With my headphones in, listening to my favorite music fill my head I wander along these streets. I’m in Japan, Canada and America and it’s all the same. People walk past me, they go about their daily lives shopping, eating, walking. To work, from work, on holiday. Whatever. Life goes on for them the same as it always has before they spotted a glimpse of me walking by, and life will go on the same after. They may not even notice me. Mostly they dont even care. They are business men, lower class, beggars, women, children and men. White, black, yellow, red, brown, every beautiful color of humanitys rainbow. I have seen them all. I have seen yelling, dancing, laughing, singing, playing, drinking, eating, begging, praying, solicitating, crying, walking, running, tripping, sitting, kissing and jumping.

I am the stranger wandering these streets, you do not know my face and you will probably never see me again. I am quite easy to forget, with my unique fashion sense and pretty face. I will wear my layers for protection, sunglasses to give me distance and headphones to drown out your voice. I probably wont hear it if you call out to me, and if I do I’ll probably try to ignore it. I wont give you any change, but I will tell you I dont know where the street you are looking for is if you ask me. I’m a tourist too.

And so I walk, and I look and my eyes are wide open. But again, I could be anywhere. It is all the same. All these countries and here I discover what I have known all along. Here I acknowledge that I am living life at a safe distance. Everywhere I have been I have adventured and walked and discovered new things. But to know a country you must know its people. I have seen them, watching with curious eyes. At times I have listened too, when they didnt know I could hear. But just as in Japan I never really got under their skin. I think I am doing that in Canada. After more than 3 months I should be starting to atleast. I guess 4 days isnt enough in a country unless you really have a handle on your social skills. And I dont.

This is my last day in America, I am going back to Canada tomorrow morning. I have a feeling though, that I’ll be back sooner than I realise. What an adventure it has been!!