Dragon Boat Competition - Part I

We had our Dragon Boating practice this evening down at Lake Couchiching. It was actually a beautiful day out despite being a bit chilly. At least it didn’t rain.

The practice went well. There are 20 paddlers, a drummer and a person who steers on each boat. We had a paddling lesson on land for about the first 20 minutes. Paddling in races is apparently quite different than regular paddling; higher arches and less pulling through the water and naturally a lot quicker. We spent about 40 minutes on the water.

By the time we made our arrangements to meet in the morning it was about quarter after 7. I was debating whether to go to the gym or to go for a rollerblade since I was already down on the waterfront trail. I decided to go rollerblading. I did 5km and half way through it was starting to get quite dark; the trees form a canopy over the trail so what little light was left wasn’t helping much. Of course then I began thinking about the dead girl that was found on the trail about 6-8 weeks ago and my mind started wandering. I started thinking I was hearing someone behind me when really it was just the leaves being blown around as I flew past them. I tried putting my focus into what I had just learned at the Dragon Boat practice and the timing of the strokes; one, two, three…one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, night, ten, one, two, three four, five, six…etc. Not that it really worked too well; even though I was counting the thought of the dead body on the trail was still lurking in the back of my mind.

Well at any rate made it back to my car just about the time it was completely dark.

I should be packing some things to take down to the park with me tomorrow morning (we were told to bring 3-4 changes of clothing). I’m going to do that and some cleaning once I’m done writing this.

Our first race is at 8am! I’m going to have to leave about 1 ½ hours earlier than I do for work. I’m not actually complaining though because I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

I bought two new books today, both that I’m quite excited about. The first one that I got, and which I’ve already started, is Margaret Atwood’s “Moral Disorder”. The other is Mark Haddon’s “A Spot of Brother”. Mark Haddon also wrote “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” which was my favourite of 37 books that I read in 2004. I remember the year because I read it in two nights on the train up to and back from Hokkaido while Lisa was visiting me in Japan, she is the one who recommended the book. So I’ve started Margaret Atwood’s already tonight because I figure it is shorter than the other so I can finish it before leaving for Germany and the other one I can take with me.

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow...at least until the afternoon!

Time

Time Folds

Time folds, he said, meaning that as time goes on and on it buckles, in the extreme heat, in the extreme cold, and what is long past becomes closer. You can demonstrate this by pleating a ribbon and sticking a pin through: Point Two, once yards away from Point One, now lies just beside it. Is time/space like an accordion, but without the music? Was he making a statement about hard physics?

Or was he saying: Time folds its wings, at long last. Time fold its tents and silently steals way. Time folds you in its folds, as if you were a lamb and the lack of time a wolf. Time folds you in the blanket of itself, it folds you tenderly and wraps you round, for where would you be without it? Time folds you in its arms and gives you one last kiss, and then if flattens you out and folds you up and tucks you away until it’s time for you to become someone else’s past time, and then time folds again.

Margaret Atwood
The Tent

All things come in 3's

Again, quite a bit of time has passed and I’m not really sure what I did during that time.

I’m ready for work early this morning, and I’m writing this as I wait for my sister to get here as she’s driving me to work since my car is still at my dad’s shop. So I probably won’t finish writing this until later this evening.

Jamie-Lee and I joined the gym on September 13th, and over the last week we’ve gone almost every day. We’re doing quite well and particularly enjoy the pool, hot tub and sauna! It’ll be especially nice in the winter to be in the pool, looking outside (one wall is entirely covered by windows overlooking the river) and seeing everything covered in snow.

A few weeks ago I went down to Brantford; hung out with some of Jamie’s friends on Friday and went to a Jay’s game with Jamie and his 3 cousins on Saturday. Sunday I went to a Bridal Show with Jamie-Lee and it was also our first day at the gym. It was a good weekend!

Wow that really might be just about everything I’ve done in the last few weeks. Aside from work stuff and the gym that is.

Last Tuesday I attended a Funders’ Forum and series of Workshops at the Casino put on by the Casino Rama Community Wellness Program. It was quite interesting. Work is generally very busy right now. The second half of October is pretty busy with 3 major shows happening while I am on holiday. So I have a lot of work to do before I go to make sure that everything is taken care of. I’m also booking and getting all my advertising done for the rest of the year because by the time I get back the Christmas Shopping rush pretty much begins.

I’m quite excited about Germany! I can’t wait to see my family again; I haven’t been to Germany since 2002 when I was over in Scotland and my whole family met in Berlin for my grandparents’ 50th Anniversary. And the last time they came to Canada was when Ty was born in 2003.

It’s evening now; I just got out of a hot shower. Jamie-Lee was sick this evening and couldn’t make it to the gym. I debated about whether or not I should go alone, and in the end I did, I have no idea what I did but I didn’t get home until 8 o’clock, which means I spent nearly 2 hours at the gym – and I didn’t use the pool, sauna or hot tub. I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be feeling it tomorrow.

My boss and I have entered the dragon boat competition in Orillia this coming weekend. I think it’ll be SO much fun! I’ve wanted to do it since I heard it was coming to Orillia. We joined our MPP, Garfield Dunlop’s team. We have practice on Friday night from 6-7pm and the actual races are held Saturday with opening ceremonies starting at 7am. Hopefully it won’t rain!

I’m waiting for one more bad thing to happen since they say all things come in three’s (well I believe the saying is that all GOOD things actually come in three’s – but it seems most things happen in sets of three).

1)I lost my heart pendant that my grandmother had given me a LONG time ago (at least 10 years ago), quite sad about it, not that it was worth much but there are two pieces of jewellery I always wear – my ring from Oma Ziebell (my dad’s mother) and the heart pendant from Oma Schley (my mom’s mother)
2)Car troubles – not that concerned seeing as my dad can fix it (he got the part this afternoon but didn’t have time to fix it yet) but it screwed up the plans I had for the weekend
3)???

I’ll keep you posted. Maybe I’ll be lucky and no third event will occur.

Ali and Nino

Just finished reading “Ali and Nino” tonight.

Melissa had bought the book for me on one of her last business trips to Azerbeidshan.

Summary:

“It is the eve of World War I in Baku, Azerbeidshan, a city poised precariously between east and west. Ali Kan Shirvanshir, a Muslim schoolboy from a proud, aristocratic family, has fallen in love with the beautiful and enigmatic Nino Kipiani, a Christian girl with distinctly European sensibilities. To be together they must overcome blood feuds and scandal, traveling from the bustling streets of oil-boom Baku through starkly beautiful deserts and remote mountain villages to the opulent palace of Ali’s uncle in neighboring Persia. Ultimately the lovers are drawn back to Baku, but when war threatens their future, Ali is forced to choose between his loyalty to the beliefs of his Asian ancestors and his profound devotion to Nino.”

It was first publish in 1937 in German in Vienna and was written by Kurban Said. Which is interesting in itself as no one is really clear who Kurban Said is. They believe that to the pseudonym for two different people; Baroness Elfriede Ehrenfels and Lev Nussimbaum. No one really knows who wrote what part and how the book came about.

Actually was just reading more about this on the net, and read that they determined it was Lev Nussimbaum who wrote the book but that he courted the Baroness while he lived in Berlin for some time.

At any rate the book was quite an interesting read. I enjoyed the mix of cultures and knowledge gained about the era, the people and the country. This is probably the reason why I enjoyed it so much. I thought it hard to determine whether it was a love story between Ali and Nino or that of Ali and his country. If I had to choose one it would probably be the latter. Anyways, a beautiful story which I recommend.