Questions Answered!

Here are the answers to the great questions that Rambling Girl posed to me a while back! It's taken me a while, but I really had to think about them....

1) what country have you always wanted to travel to and why?

Well I've travelled to most of the countries that interested me at that point and time in my life, things seem to change with each trip I take. I loved the freedom and frivolousness of my trip to Greece and Italy after finishing my degree, I loved the biodiversity of Australia. The people I met during my month in Cuba were so generous, even when they had barely anything, and trying my Spanish was fun. The food in Thailand was superb and learning massage was a really human experience. Yoga in Mexico, lazy days in the Nevis' Caribbean sunshine, travelling from a suitcase through Western Europe and cycling through parts of Eastern Europe... getting engaged in a German castle! Out of all those things, I love people, different cultures and food the most. For those reasons, I'd have to say India. I'd also like to go to Nepal since Jason raves about it so much.

2) what is your absolute favorite outdoor activity?

OH! That's a tough one! I wish I could say swim, bike or run... but instead I choose SURFING!! I love my newfound comfort level in the water, and I love using my yoga know-how to pop up evenly and effortletlessly. I love the feeling of tooling around, bobbing in the water, sitting on the edge of my board, waiting for a nice wave to come along... I love the breathless struggle to paddle hard enough to get going really fast, and of course I love the feeling of the pull on the tail of your board when you've caught the wave just right. The tiny movements you can make to control the board in different directions keep you thinking during your ride... balance! And I love peeling off the top of my wetsuit when it's all said and done, lying in the sun or around a campfire, swapping stories and resting my surf-weary body.

I also love to snowboard, but it's much more forgiving when I fall down surfing!

3) what words of wisdom will you impart on your little niece that you know your sister would never tell her?

My family is very active and healthy, young and strong. But for some reason none of them can understand why I enjoy triathlon so much... "Why do you DO that to yourself?" is the most common thing I hear. Why? Because I CAN. When I first started to date Jason, my family was quite protective, but also they thought that being with someone who had gone through so much would be so hard, and that maybe I was putting myself directly in the line of fire... Sure, it was risky, sure sometimes there are grey days, but developing my relationship with Jason has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience in my life. And that's something I get to enjoy everyday for the rest of my life.

There are so many people out there that never push themselves, they aren't really interested in seeing what their potential is. For some people it's physical, for some it's mental or emotional... regardless, I like to push the limits a bit. I like to step outside the comfort zone once in a while and take a chance.

My advice would be to push a little, find out what you are capable of, enjoy the risks in life. Don't short-change yourself, you can do anything you set your heart and mind to. Don't get lazy. I don't mean this just in the physical sense, but also emotionally, mentally, academically...

Oh yes, and to let her younger sister (if she has one) borrow her clothes...

4) what do you like most and least about living in Vancouver?

I least enjoy commuting in Vancouver. Even though I live very close to the city center, I find driving unsettling and scary. I haven't owned a car in over a year now, and have resigned myself to public transit. Love the sky train, HATE the bus - bone rattler, loser cruiser, however you want to put it. I hate the steamy feeling on a hot day when people won't open the windows, and I can't stand people who stare at my knitting! Although, there are a lot of cute grandmas who ask what I'm making. I bike to work quite a lot, but find the bike paths lacking. Too many near-door-prizes and people using roundabouts wrong. I still do it, but am on high alert the whole ride.

I love the diversity of Vancouver, the different ethnicities and cultures. I love living close to the Punjabi Market and Chinatown. I love knowing where to go for good sushi, butter chicken, dim sum, Polish sausage, souvlaki, Jamaican patties... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. And did I mention the cinnamon buns at the Jewish bakery? To die for!

5) what song makes you laugh?

There was a two-record set put out by K-Tel when I was little, it was called Goofy Greats. It had songs like Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, Guitarzan, Yellow Polka-dot Bikini, Boney Maronie, The Name Game... anyhow whenever I sing those songs at the top of my lungs (much to Jason's and Bella's amusement) it reminds me of being a kid, doing the same thing and dividing the parts to sing with my brother and sister. Mostly, I love singing Guitarzan...

They've got a pet monkey
who likes to get drunkey
and sing boogie woogie
cuz it sounds real funky
so c'mon.... sing one, Monkey!

OOh Uh Uh Uh ....