Courtesy Seats and Online Shaming

What really gets my blood boiling is that people play ignorance when someone elderly gets on the bus. Instead of offering their seat (and yes, they are sitting in the courtesy seats), they just keep their eyes on their phone/tablet and are fully engrossed in whatever they are texting/watching/reading. They never check who is around them. They never look up to see if anyone needs the seat more than them. The ones who are the worst offenders are people my age or younger. For goodness sake, can you give up the slight inconvenience that you won't be able to watch your show for just a moment as you get up to offer your seat to the person who needs it more than you? I suggest if you want to take advantage of the courtesy seat, that you look up every stop and see who is getting on a the bus or train out of respect.

So there's actually a solution to bring my blood back down to a simmer, but I've learned of it only recently. There's a website called STOMP that allows site users to post pictures of people behaving rather poorly on the road or on transit. Check out this page, and maybe have a laugh here.

Only issue is, that a lot of these posts have turned into personal opinions, rather than just shaming someone for breaking a rule. Like, there is a statement that it was "unsightly for a woman to be sitting with one leg up on a luggage". This is an opinion; not a rule. So, people have taken it beyond what this page is supposed to be an complaining (remember, people here self-proclaim the country is known for eating, shopping, and complaining).

I think this could really work, if appropriate moderators are in place. Back home, there have been so many times I would have loved to post a photo or a video of an idiot driver driving recklessly on a road. What do you think? Like the Vancouver Stanley Cup Riots, would this be of help or detriment to law enforcement?

Volunteerism in Singapore, or the Lack Thereof

Last week I had a great lunch with the Nike We Run SG organizers to discuss some of the feedback I provided and they also wanted to learn about how things work in Canada. They were really open to sharing what their experiences have been and what mine was like. They really took it all in stride and acknowledge that they have many challenges and also that this event was a bit of an anomaly compared to some of their other events. I followed that with a great dinner discussion with a friend about some very similar topics.

The most important point to me about my volunteer experience was how I felt the time I gave wasn't used to it's greatest potential. Frankly, most of my time was wasted through waiting around. Their major challenge is the lack of public transport for the volunteers to get to the site early in the morning as trains and buses mostly don't run until around 6 or 7am on the weekends. Hence, they have no choice but to ask the volunteers to arrive before the last train or bus the night before. Most of the volunteers are high school kids who rely on public transport and it's safe to say that many families do not own a car. I compared that to my experiences in Vancouver where we can start driving on our own when we're 16.5 (here it's 18) and that there's lots of street parking in most places. We also live in a culture where volunteerism is almost a part of growing up, and have awesome family members who are willing to drive some of us around! Then, in Sri Lanka buses run pretty much 24 hours per day, so no issue there! Another major concern was that they were afraid they would get more no shows for a shift that starts early morning rather than going overnight. As it seemed, (at least for my group), I saw probably about a 50% no show rate!

The best solution is that if people could share taxis or carpool and have parental support to volunteer (i.e. rides to a volunteer assignment), less people would have to check in so early. The challenge here is the culture in Singapore does not promote, encourage, or value volunteering. People who volunteer mostly do it for what they get in return, materialistically. The volunteer entitlements are just as important as the runners' entitlements. The question most people ask is, "what do I get in return for my time?" My warm and fuzzy answer for recruitment in Canada (and in Sri Lanka) of "the joy of knowing you just helped some people accomplish something they never thought they could do, or achieve a goal of being the best athlete they can be" won't cut it here. Mostly, the kids (and others) do it because they have to, and the parents aren't there to tell them why it's good to do donate your time (or give them reasons to keep doing it). So for people to fork out extra money to take a taxi or carpool? Unlikely because volunteering doesn't hold very much value in this society. Heck, I feel like that anyone who gives them a more meaningful reason for volunteering other than for the material goods, just isn't heard. Yes, they would nod, but deep within their hearts, I don't think it's in them.

I crossed out "more meaningful" because I recognized that is a very Western personal and cultural expectation. In my discussions last week, what is meaningful to people here is very different from what is meaningful to many people I know. Many of us find meaning in helping others, volunteering their time, fundraising for charity, and in general, engaging with other human beings. A lot of people here find meaning in having the latest in gadgets and the feeling of having the warm and fuzzy screens of the iPads, tablets, and phones in their hands. Not that they don't think volunteering isn't meaningful, just lower on the list. I make that assumption, because that's all I ever see on the buses, trains, restaurants, malls, and streets. Yup. Everywhere. That, and in those discussions, I came to the conclusion that people here, work to buy the latest gadget, that designer purse, or the swank pair of shoes. They don't work to be a better person, attain that leadership role, go on an adventure, a vacation, or some time off. Seems wrong to the majority of us raised in the Western world, right? But what if, this is your world and this is what you know? Should we impose upon them what they should learn about outside this little protected bubble?

For the younger generation, it's all about "me". What do I get out of it? It doesn't matter that my actions might help someone else, because what do I get out of it for putting that effort in? Back home, you are recognized for being a "good" person to volunteer your time, you maybe get a meal and a t-shirt, you feel good about contributing to an event/project/charity, and you get to put it on your resume. Here, you get a meal, t-shirt, and cash. That's all that is expected. So to change the volunteer experience and to grow volunteerism, a major shift in culture is necessary so that it holds a greater value. The culture would need to recognize that volunteering is an activity that builds character, experience, and life-skills, like sport.  And guess what, sport engagement outside of high school is pretty dismal.

So, a little more food for thought. When primary schools are using parents of potential students as volunteers as a way to increase the probability their kid will be accepted into the school? They'll say that it's to help the school pick the best citizens for their school. Is it a clever scheme to get the resources you need to run school programs, or is a detriment to promoting volunteerism?

Around the Big Island on Two Tanks of Gas – Day 3: Black Sand Beach, Turtles, and Green Sand Beach

What I loved about this trip most were my easy and unrushed mornings. I would wake up around 6:00 am when it got light, step out of the tent, stretch, wash up and then slowly prep and eat my breakfast. I typically sliced up from fruit to snack on throughout the day (oh the papaya, mango, star fruit, and dragon fruits were deelish!), slowly packed up and then by around 8:00 or 9:00 am was on the road to my next point of interest. So that was how this morning began ...

I was on the road to Black Sand Beach and got there nice and early around 8:30am. With the 2nd half of my breakfast in hand, I moseyed on over to the beach to find the turtles that my guidebook told me would be sunbathing there. On the way there, a family from Alabama caught my attention and told me there were 5 or 6 of them about halfway down the beach! Totally stoked, I soon spotted three on the beach and a couple of them floating in the shallow water seemingly enjoying each wave of water washing over them. I found a spot on the rocks, plopped down, then enjoyed the peacefulness of watching the turtles and feeling the sun rising higher in the sky.

As more tourists arrived over the next hour, I walked around to try to find a quieter spot. I found a tide pool where one turtle was cruising around on its own and watched it for awhile. I didn't leave soon enough though. As I once again set to find another quieter spot, an irresponsible tourist family took over my spot, saw the turtle, then approached it and touched it. For those of you who don't know, disturbing turtles in their natural habitat is illegal or "kapu", meaning forbidden, in Hawaiian. Not only that, as I'm sure we have all experienced with the numerous "don't feed the bears", "don't feed the birds" or "don't feed the raccoons" signs, it habituates them with human interaction which distracts them from their natural habits. So as the members of this family touched the turtle, I glared ... I even said something, but they ignored it while I died a little inside (like the time the man we went snorkelling with in the Maldives broke off a giant piece of coral by stepping on it, albeit accidentally). I was so angry that people could be so ignorant and inconsiderate. It took sometime for me again to recognize it was something I could not control, but I really was quite angry because turtles are such a precious and endangered species around the world.


After that, I decided I had to move on. I went on to Naahelu where I had a tent site booked at Margo's Corner. Margo herself was pleasant and such a trooper. She has Parkinsons and runs this little business plus a small shop on her own. She does have workers who visit to help her out and told me she was pretty independent as she's been meeting people from online dating the last few years. Go Margo! Anyhow, I set up my tent, tossed my stuff inside, then went off to find Green Sands beach!

Long, dusty, seaside walk to Green Sands! 

I was SO glad I rented an all-wheel drive SUV as the road from Naahelu to Green Sands Beach and South Point eventually became pot-holed and single-lane where you had to pull over onto the little shoulder there was to let oncoming cars pass. It was a scenic drive going by horse stables, pastures, and even a wind farm! I got to the very dusty parking lot, thought about driving a part of the dirt road towards the beach, but decided to park the car and do the hike/walk as planned. It's a walk - but on very dusty sand covered tracks in full and direct sunlight. It was quite windy which was really helpful in keeping the body temperature down, but I almost got burned having forgotten my sunblock back in the car!

The coast is gorgeous, on your right hand side, as you go along the numerous dirt tracks created by 4x4s. However, you look left and all you can see is brown sand and dirt which makes it look like you're trudging through a desert. There were some moments where I thought "is this really worth it?" Just over an hour later, I finally reach the site where I was rewarded with a uniquely green sand beach (from the Olivine eroded from the giant rock that frames the bay) and beautiful turquoise blue waters. It wasn't very busy as only about 10 others were there, and a one point, it was just me and 3 others. I sat in the shade of the rock and enjoyed a little picnic with my peanut butter and banana sandwich washed down by some green Powerade. Sounds delicious, doesn't it? ;)

The walk back was more enjoyable, because I wasn't thinking so much "are we there yet?" I got back, super dusty, headed back to Margo's for a shower then went to a local bar for a well-deserved (well, at least I thought) meal of Laulau. I found Laulau to be very similar to a Chinese soup made with pork/pork bones and watercress, except, minus the soup. After the filling meal, I spent some time in the common area of Margo's (just me) reading, planning my next day, and helping her do some of her giant puzzle before calling it a night.

The Little Things That Make Me Canadian

I had a great conversation with someone last night who spent 6 years in Canada going to school and was really able to identify with some of those Canadian quirks/stereotypes that we have. Couple this with a chat about the same topic with another friend the other night, I have to say there are some things I really miss right now!

• People holding doors open in front of you. I can't count the number of times I expected someone to look behind and see me right there and hold the door for just a second longer. The worst ones are the ones that open the door just a bit, then slip in, essentially closing the door on you. 
• Getting a thank you for holding doors open for others
• Smiling at people in the hall/elevator/street and getting one in return. I mostly get strange looks back. Or, none at all. 
• "Sorry!" 
• The excitement of the first dusting of snow on the mountains 
• Toques and scarves
• The signs in the bathrooms telling people how to avoid Influenza (sorry, but the handwashing here I've observed is pitiful or non-existent. Gross, I know. The country looks mightly clean on the surface, but some personal habits need some work on!)
• Fall apples
• My bike and golf clubs
• Awesome hugs 

I really couldn't have had a more Canadian convo last night - we talked about mountains, Montreal smoked meat, poutine, Banff, snow, politeness (we are almost too polite to a fault!), and Russell Peters. The last one came about because he's of Indian descent. Myself, being Chinese, was thinking about instances where you'll find the two races interact with each other (my context was Vancouver). We concluded it would be close to 'nil, maybe except at a Russell Peters show.

I've also observed people here are very risk-adverse. I thought I was, but they are even more so! It could be because from the time they grow up, rules define their world. You can't do this, you can't do that. You can do this, but this is the exact way you must do it. Even directions to the Ministry of Manpower (I hate that gender discriminating name!) on their website have photos documenting every turn you need to take to reach their office. Getting lost, is not an option - because they don't let you, and people don't want to. Then again, I guess you can consider it amazing customer service?

Anyhow, going for a wander at Pulau Ubin this Saturday. Stay tuned for more!

The Challenges of a Singaporean Volunteer

This past weekend I was a "crew member" for the Nike We Run SG 2012 event. I saw first hand the challenges of being an on-the-ground volunteer at arguably the most popular running event in SG and compared it to what I was used to. At the same time, I asked seasoned volunteers what they thought of the experience so I could get a sense of what was normal and what wasn't. I'm also sending an e-mail to the organizers in hope I can understand some of the rationale behind their scheduling and practices. 

We were assigned a letter and were told that we would be told our areas on the day of the event. So, checking in at 11:50 pm as requested (and me, being early I arrived 30 minutes prior to) the expectation was that we would be put to work right away. I was given my t-shirt, and was told to return at 1:45 am only when I asked. What? 2 hours later? What am I supposed to do? "Change into your t-shirt." Hmm... so I asked around later on and was told the group that manages the volunteers for a few of the major events in the city always does this. Check in really early, then hurry up and wait. I chose to sleep on the concrete floor near the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Some others starting to sing acapella, others were dancing. Many were watching movies on their iPads. Lucky the rain had stopped! 

My recommendation would be having smaller check-in groups and having staggered pick-up/start times. With all the people power that was present, shifts could have started later into the night and engaged us more. I suppose that may be difficult given that public transport is not available in the middle of the night - but a solution must exist! For example, have a smaller crew start at midnight so there's more to do for fewer of us, then bringing in additional volunteers just prior to the race. 

Once we arrived at our work site, we were told we needed to check our bags.Through the communication given to us prior to the event in an e-mail and PDF'd PowerPoint briefing, we were all under the impression we would be able to keep a small bag with us through the event. When we were told we would have to place our personal belongings into garbage bags, which would then be transported to some unknown location, many of us felt horrified being forced to leave valuables in the bag we could not carry around with us. That horror came true when some of my fellow volunteers did not receive their bags in a timely fashion at the end of the event and were essentially "lost" for quite some time. If we were told ahead of time we would need to check our bags in, many of us would have worn clothing with more pockets, or chosen to bring less with us. I got the feeling that this was not normal. 


For the length of the shift, I was engaged for very little time. After being given 2 hours to change and checking back in at 1:45am, we waited for another hour before we were finally told what we were going to do and going to our assigned places was very inefficient. So it was about 3:00 am when we finally started to get moving, and that was short lived. By 3:30am, we were finished ripping the bunches of bananas apart and were waiting for more instruction. 30 minutes later, we got the go ahead to arrange water on the tables. 30 minutes later, we were done. Then we were told we had some time to "rest". When it's the middle of the night and we're all exhausted, we don't want to be told that we're useless for some undetermined amount of time and that we have to find some place to rest. Many of us, once again, ended up on the floor. 

None for us. 

The lack of hydration for volunteers was appalling.I don't know if it was different for other groups, but for us we were only provided one juice box over the course of 11 hours. Many volunteers had brought water bottles with them, but left them in the bags that were checked. They either did not drink anything, or had to purchase it from the 7-11 at Marina Bay Sands. The little group I was with were rebels and we kept our water bottles with us. Water is a basic necessity and there should be no limits on how much we need. Please have additional water supplied for volunteers. It's a really unpleasant feeling if volunteers feel they must "sneak" the water that's in front of them or risk dehydration and perhaps worse consequences. 

Our area leader had a hard time accepting feedback. While she was telling us how to set up the table very very specifically, I felt it was not applied consistently as all the tables had different set-ups in the end. I appreciate that she probably has a lot of race experience, but so did some of the volunteers who were working that night. At the same time, she was probably struggling with the lack of instruction from higher up. I watched one group frustratingly try to explain a more logical way of setting up the canned drinks with no progress. If there was in fact a way the tables should have been set up, a visual diagram given to the area leader with the specifics, and perhaps copy at each table, would have eliminated the confusion. 

The volunteers I worked with were such troopers. When I asked what they do about situations where they feel stuck like this, they simply said "suck it up, do as your told (to cover your own butt), and hope for the best". This is where I have a personal struggle with being in an Asian culture and just complying with the instructions given. The western influence in my personality and beliefs really stick out here sometimes as I was taught to question and challenge the status quo while in the western world I think I can be perceived as quite complacent. 

During the race, things were fine - but that table set up was impractical and in the end everyone just did whatever needed to be done to get the refreshments out. Go teamwork! 

Now to the check-out process. After the race was over, we waited about an hour before we received instructions on how to receive our entitlements. Then, once we arrived we had to wait another 45 minutes. Again, a waste of time. Being tired, hungry, and dehydrated, all we wanted to do was leave, but we didn't know where our bags were. On top of that, the queue to get our entitlement was extremely long as they didn't have as many tables open as when we had the t-shirt pick-up. So going back to the bag-check in, that's a decision the organizers should make well ahead of time and provide a proper bag check with tags. Then, those bags that were "lost" in between dropping them off at our work sites and the check-in/check-out area would not have been misplaced. It was a lot of unnecessary stress and worry.

A lot of volunteers were disappointed by the non-Nike branded cotton shirts. We do cotton in Canada a lot, but judging from the people I talked to, this was a big step down from most other events they have volunteered for where they got polo or moisture wicking t-shirts. 

Where I was placed.

So while the experience could have been better for volunteers, I do think that the experience for the runners was great. However, I really believe that the experience should be great for all so that involvement in sport and volunteerism extends beyond completing requirements for school. Part of the entitlements for volunteers was $25 ... I didn't get to ask how important that was to some. This event also confirmed for me that I need to volunteer at events that have a greater cause - whether it's raising awareness or fundraising. This one was just one, large, giant, corporate marketing machine (props to you Nike, for having that following). 

Side note - going back to my post about missing the Canadian things ... I definitely noticed a lot fewer "thank yous" than back home, when athletes were handed their refreshments. Also less smiles in general. These different norms are quite interesting! 

Around the Big Island on Two Tanks of Gas – Day 2: Volcanoes National Park

My wishlist.

After a somewhat noisy night in Hilo, I set out in the morning to Volcanoes National Park. An enjoyable winding drive through some small highways (as most of the island is connected by) took me to a larger highway, then to the parking lot of the Visitor's Centre. I presented my wishlist to the park ranger and planned my route. First stop, setting up camp in Namakanipaio Campground. As of October 1^st, they started charging for this campground, but still a great deal for camping just under 1km away from the glowing Halema`umau Crater. Pretty amazing.

Steam vent.

The first drive I did was the Crater Rim Drive. Unfortunately it’s really short now as the VOG (volcanic smog) has closed most of the drive. I made stops at the Steam Vents, Sulphur Bank, as well as the lookout at the Jaggar Museum. The last point is the closest you can get to Halema`umau at the moment.  After that, I was caught in some rain so I ate my first poke of the trip in the car, then went towards Chain of Craters road to do the Kilauea Iki hike.

This hike was one of my favourite parts of the park. For a gal who really likes rocks (I minored in Geology in Uni), this experience was just unreal! There is nothing like it that I have experienced before. Descending through lush rainforest, I got to the main part of the hike where I got to walk across the crater floor on the solidified lava lake of Kilauea Iki. There are still steam vents releasing heat from the rocks deep down below. I personally felt so connected to Mother Earth while I was in the crater and gained a whole new level of respect for the power she holds.

I'm at the edge of a crater! I couldn't get over how cool that was.

Quite literally, the end of the road.

So after that empowering experience, what else could top it? Well, the views and landscapes of driving Chain of Craters road. From seeing the most amazing rainbow ever, to the views of turquoise blue ocean waters juxtaposed against the greenish volcano slopes interrupted by old lava flows, my breath was taken away. I drove all the way down to the ocean waters, did some more walking and hiking where fairly recent lava flows cut off the road and also to a site where there were remnants of ancient petroglyphs carved into rock.

As the sunset, I drove back up the winding road and went straight back to Halema`umau Crater where once again, I connected with Mother Nature as I watched the glow of molten lava light up the current vent. If it weren’t so “cold” (it was maybe 15-ish degrees; I’m such a wuss now) I would have just sat there watching the glow. Instead, I drove back to the campsite, slowly cooked some canned soup over a gel flame thing while it started to rain and get a little breezy. Nothing could take away the fact I was camping on a volcano though! 

Most amazing rainbow I have ever seen in my life. This photo does not do it justice!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Just a short one tonight. It's my 2nd Thanksgiving in a row away from home and it's put me in a very reminiscent mood. I cooked some chicken tonight after locating a can of cranberry sauce (which isn't too hard to find here, yay!) and a can pumpkin pie mix. As I admired my Thanksgiving creation, I couldn't help but think of the warmth of a family Thanksgiving dinner and all the smells associated with assortment of food our family has when we all get together.

I thought I had blogged about my last Thanksgiving and if I did, the post escapes me. I think I did something very similar - managed to locate a can of cranberry sauce in Colombo and cooked some chicken. :)  Here's to hoping that I can do the same for Christmas in Hong Kong this year (yes, I'm spending Christmas in Hong Kong!).

Tonight, I also sat at my computer browsing through the Facebook posts from a year ago. It's hard to believe that a year ago I had just returned to Colombo after a month abroad visiting India with a friend, wandering London, conquering Ireland, attending and working at the Isle of Man Commonwealth Youth Games, and learning at midterm in Cayman. Now I sit in Singapore, knowing that I have a plan that only goes as far as the beginning of January 2013.

Conquering Ireland! Not really, just being a dork in The Burren,  Ireland.

I'm a person who plans a lot - if you saw the spreadsheet that I had on my trip in 2007, and also last month for Hawaii, you might think I'm a little too detail-oriented. This past week in learning from two of the most amazing people I know, I really recognized that I could be a bit more spontaneous. I'm starting to think I've started this journey to do exactly that and for once in my life, not have every little step planned out. It's a little scary, but I'm going to enjoy the ride.

Speaking of this past week, I was humbled by how hard it is to facilitate rather than teach. I've been able to stand up in front of people and tell them what to do and present information, but I have never experienced what I did this week which was facilitating a participatory training session. It is incredible, that when you are specific with your instructions, the information and knowledge you can draw out of a group of people without telling them exactly what you are looking for can be so powerful. And, to be able to help them synthesize all their thoughts was such an incredible feeling. It was really hard though, and well outside my comfort zone. I'm looking forward to start exploring more about facilitation and getting opportunities to practice these techniques.

So maybe this post wasn't so short after all. =P Happy Turkey Day, Canada. I am thankful that I can do what I love and it's given me the opportunity to travel, live, and learn around the world. 

"Be curious"

Was flipping through some of my e-mails from the last month as I clean out my inbox, and came across this, from insidethegames.biz:


"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet,"

"Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist."

"Be curious."

Stephen Hawking during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium.


:) 

Singapore!

If you don't know yet, I took another placement with Commonwealth Games Canada's Capacity Support Program - this time in Singapore for three months. I got here EARLY on Saturday and have had a packed schedule since!

I had a great weekend of exploring and just getting the little things I needed to make life comfy here - some food, toiletries, my own mug, etc. The apartment is soooo luxurious. TV, garbage chute right in the apartment, plus it's serviced. Crazy to me, but pretty standard here, it seems!  Met up with a friend from Vancouver who was here to watch the F1 race (I sadly could not get a ticket to the race, nor could I afford it). I took local transport which is really well marked. The bonus is that it's so clean and it's air-conditioned. Ate some local food which I know I will enjoy immensely while I am here.

My first day at the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) was on Monday. They currently have a temporary office in the building of the Singapore Sports Council (SSC). I'm a short, sweaty 10 minute walk from the office. There are murals of national athletes all over the interior walls. I was so inspired when I walked in. The SSC has 150+ staff from marketing to sports medicine; all working together to manage sports in the country. The SNOC has 6 staff who so far have been super helpful and definitely keen to get started on Zeus. The staff go out for lunch everyday - generally at the local hawker centres close by where a lunch can be had for about 3 - 4 CAD and choices range from BBQ pork on rice to curry or laksa!

I was fortunate to have an invite extended to me to attend their London 2012 Athlete Appreciation Dinner last night. What an amazing event. In addition to the team being present, the Deputy Prime Minister who is also the President of the SNOC was the guest of honour, the super personable female Chef de Mission, and past Olympians including their first ever Olympic medallist from the 1960 Games in Rome. Probably better summed up here: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/olympians-feted-ceremony-medallists-get-cash-20120926.

Culturally, I'm a little nervous - only because it seems so familiar at times that I'm afraid I'm overlooking something. I get the humour, many of the traditions, the work ethic, and bits and pieces of the language (aside from English, Mandarin is commonly used). I already feel so much more at ease here than my entire last year which makes me a little cautious. I guess we'll just wait and see! One of the things I do hope to accomplish is that by the end of the three months, when someone asks me what I need in Mandarin, I'll be able to understand them even if I still have to respond on English.

So I hope to get one or two more posts up this week about Hawaii, but if I don't, it's because we're preparing for a week-long Zeus workshop that's happening next week AND it's Mid-Autumn festival this weekend. I'm really excited about both things, but will write about it afterwards!

Zai jian!

Around the Big Island on Two Tanks of Gas – Day 1: Mauna Kea

To my pleasant surprise, my awesome Hotwire deal got me a Ford Escape for $240/week. Even more surprising, I actually had a lot of fun driving this vehicle – maybe the first time I’ve enjoyed driving a domestic car! I managed just over 600mi in hitting all my sites and sights! Let's start with Day 1. 

I flew into Hilo from Honolulu on a Sunday morning arriving around 9:30am. My first order of business after picking up the car was stocking up at the local Wal-Mart with some basic dry goods and some camping fuel before setting off for my first adventure of the week: Mauna Kea. After stocking up and checking into the lovely Hilo Tropical Gardens where I had a cute little campsite and set up my tent in the rain, I booked it up to Mauna Kea OnizukaVisitor’s Center to make their 1pm escorted summit tour. It’s free, but you do need a 4WD or AWD to drive up to the summit. I make it there in the nick of time where we have a 1 hour film to watch about Mauna Kea, the observatories, and its flora and fauna. It’s also where our bodies start to acclimatize to the high altitude.

After the film, we all quickly do our washroom pit stop and then we all get in line with our vehicles to drive up as a convoy. Unfortunately, I caught a really foggy and rainy day so I felt like I was driving on Mars, surrounded by red rock and gravel, while being enveloped by clouds. As we get to the top, I hop out of the car and quickly notice I was a little unsteady on my feet! The altitude had definitely kicked in; I would compare it to being drunk. Being on the escorted tour meant we got to tour one of the telescopes. They took us into one of the Keck Observatory telesopes where we got to see the telescope rotate and move around. It was so massive and so cool to see the technology. This massive telescope weighing many tonnes had hydraulics that would allow just one person pretty much move it with just their arm. Okay, instead of getting into details, watch and listen to this video:

After that, we were free to explore the summit on our own. I was pretty set on seeing if the clouds would clear for the sunset so I was one of the people who decided to stay on the summit despite the single digit (Celsius) temperatures. I made the quick hike up to the summit as marked by a United States Geological Survey Marker and then huddled in the car for the remainder of the hour and a half until the sunset where I wished with all my might I would see it. No such luck. The whole time I was up there was rain, mist, and fog. By the time I started my descent, the summit temperature had dropped to 2 degrees Celsius. So close to snow!

The official summit of Mauna Kea. Okay, I lied. I got a glimpse of blue sky.

So back to the Visitor’s Center I go as they have a stargazing program every night (also free!). They sell bowl and cup noodles and I think the bowl I had was the best bowl I ever had being so cold after being on the summit. So remember how I said the stars were amazing when I was in Martinborough last year? Well, this blows that out of the water. Being at altitude with minimal light pollution, I have NEVER EVER seen so many stars or seen the Milky Way so clearly! I felt like I could just lie there and stare at the skies all night (except that it was cold). I was truly thankful for the volunteers and staff who run that program every night so that they can share such amazing sights. I wish that were my TV every night. At 10pm, the program ended so back down to Hilo I went for the night. I would have had a great night's sleep if it wasn't for the Coqui frogs!

End of summer camps... and another adventure!

So I've spent the last 2.5 months working part-time within Volunteer Services at the City of Coquitlam. I've seen some amazing work completed by our volunteers and some incredible dedication and commitment. I've been looking throughout this time for full-time work which leads me to my next adventure - Singapore! It will again be with Commonwealth Games Canada in their Capacity Support Program.

However, we had planned that I would run a resume/professional writing type workshop for the volunteers in the fall. Now that I'm leaving, I won't get a chance to do that, but I did want to share some pointers that may help young people turn their volunteer experience into a job:

1. Make sure to include your personal information and note the position you are applying for in the body of your e-mail when you attach your resume and cover letter to an e-mail. It's unlikely we will open an e-mail that only has an attachment without a subject and/or text in the body as it looks too suspicious. 
2. Use proper grammar, words, and punctuation in your communication. Using (cellphone) texting shorthand isn't going to cut it. Yup, LOL, thx, u, r, gr8 - is unprofessional! 
3. Especially when volunteering, remember your conduct and actions reflect on what your supervisors will say when you use them as a reference or if you want to apply for a job with the organization you are volunteering for. 
4. Volunteering for an organization does not mean you will get a job with them. Sometimes the personalities just don't fit or you're not what they are looking for. Instead of being offended, ask them for feedback on what you can improve upon or a different assignment that fits you more. Better yet, if your goal is to be employed by the organization in the future, ask them when you begin to volunteer what they are looking for in their staff. 
5. Network with the staff! Attend meetings even if they are optional. 
6. Be actively engaged from the interview, orientation, subsequent meetings, and further training sessions.
7. Make every effort to go above and beyond!  
8. Lastly - parents, please please have your child do their own communication with the organization from the start. If your child is not capable of communicating individually with us, we can't expect that they will be able to take on the responsibilities of volunteering. 

If you have anything to add, or if you have anything you want to dispute, please leave a comment below! 

Cycling Safety for All!

Ok. I know. The title of this post implies a very boring post - it may be to some, but I need to raise some awareness about cycling on the road for both cyclists and drivers!

As a cyclist myself, one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing fellow cyclists breaking rules, making stupid decisions, and taking unnecessary risks on the road. For example, yesterday, I was in a left turn lane where a cyclist who was on the right of the lane, slowly drifted into the middle of the lane in front of me with no hand signals, then decided to turn left to follow the pedestrian crosswalk and onto the sidewalk. As he was very slowly riding in front of me, I gave him a little honk to signal that I was going to pass him on the right and that he was in the wrong place. As I turned left, and then stopped in yet another left turn lane, he yelled at me from the sidewalk, proceeded to swear at me and pointed to his nether region and said "suck this". I was appalled at such a rude gesture and proceeded to yell across the road that as a cyclist myself, I couldn't stand watching him ride in such a risky manner and risk killing himself. He continued to swear at me, I continued to tell him that he made the rest of us cyclists look bad and that if he kept riding that way, he will put himself in harms way. He probably didn't understand that I was a cyclist and thought I was just like every other driver who hates dealing with cyclists on the road. OH, and he wasn't wearing a helmet.

This I'm sure will be the first of a few rants this summer about cyclists riding with complete abandon for their own safety and oblivion to the traffic (street and sidewalk!) around them. So today, this is what I am going to ask of my fellow cyclists:

1. If you ride on the road, you are a vehicle. You MUST signal (remember those from your learner's handbook?) your turns and lane changes left or right at the very least. You're also supposed to signal when you're slowing down... but that's pretty unlikely.
2. If you choose to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing, (i.e. between the two white lines at a controlled intersection or a cross walk) please dismount and walk your bike across. Otherwise, you look like a vehicle who will go when the intersection is clear. Do not expect drivers to give you the right of way if you stay mounted on your bike at a pedestrian crossing. This also is courteous to pedestrians using the crossing.
3. If you are riding in a lane, whether it goes straight or turns, please stay to the right of the lane. Blocking traffic only irritates drivers more and makes them more aggressive.
4. Please use the bike routes! There's little that irks me more than a cyclist putting themselves in danger on a main road like Hastings St (from Burnaby to Downtown), when there are designated bike routes on quieter streets just two blocks away running parallel to the main road!
5. Wear a helmet. Please. 

And to my fellow drivers, it's summer time and please be patient with cyclists. Not only that, with the number of bike events increasing across the country, road cycling is becoming very popular (especially with the success of Ryder Hesjedal). Yes, I know some of them are idiots weaving in and out of traffic, hopping up onto then off sidewalks, and riding in the middle of your lane. However, there is no need for you to get aggressive and tailgate a cyclist, or see how close you can get to them as you pass them. Most importantly, if you park on the street, please please please shoulder check and make sure there are no oncoming cyclists (or cars) before you open your car door!

I would love if cyclists, once in awhile, remind themselves what it is like to be behind the wheel of car and in a rush as so many people are. I know they're supposed to share the road with us, but sometimes, it's just not worth it to fight with the powerful machines on the road.

And drivers of motor vehicles, I CHALLENGE you to get on a bike and ride on the road (of course, following the rules) at least one day this summer. If you've never done it, try exploring your neighbourhood to start. Then, try out some of the bike lanes in your area. Then, try riding from one municipality to another. See the road from our point of view and understand what it takes to make the roads safer for everyone involved. Not only that, you'll discover some amazing things you've never noticed in your city!

Looking for more? Check out http://www.bikesense.bc.ca/manual.htm. 

Chapter Closed

As I write this en-route to Toronto, leaving debrief and Ottawa behind, I'm in an especially reflective mood. I'm sad that this experience as a Capacity Support Officer is over. I am excited for what is to come and to see where my Capacity Support Program Team 3 colleagues will go. The group we were a year ago and the group that got together this weekend was completely different. We all learned that we are extremely capable in taking on anything that was thrown at us and making opportunities out of everything. We have all grown so much. So proud of everyone involved and so happy to have had all of you influence the change in me this past year.

So what did we all accomplish? I will list some of the legacies we have left behind in our host countries:

• Weekly women's fitness classes where they did not exist before
• Recreational basketball leagues across a host country
• New social media strategies to increase engagement with Commonwealth Games Associations and National Olympic Committees
• New national sport events/competitions ranging from triathlons to youth multi-sport games
• Proposals for funding, facilities development, team development, and long-term athlete development
• Educational programs promoting Olympism and Olympic Values, anti-doping, and fair play
• Sport programs
• Games team management processes
• Staff and volunteers trained in games team management software (Zeus)
• Newly developed or strengthened national sport councils and relationships between national sport bodies and CGAs/NOCs

And this is just the start ... 

I think I can safely say that a lot of us "found" parts of us that we didn't know existed. We definitely had our limits pushed and we all made the best of our situations. My biggest take away - learning how to communicate more effectively both with people in my host country and people back home. I've strengthened some important relationships and have become better at making new ones. 

Thank you Commonwealth Games Canada staff and volunteers for the amazing support you have offered to us to help us grow tremendously over the last year. That support also allowed us to achieve outcomes that I think none of us could have expected given the opportunities that we found and also were presented to us. 

Now I look forward to staying connected with this amazing group of change makers and connecting with others as well. Need a job done in community development, volunteer coordination, event planning, program management, fundraising, or strategizing, especially in the sport sector? I for sure will know someone, or a team, who can help you. ;) 

Home.

Today marks a week since I returned back home to Vancouver, and it's been quite a roller coaster ride to say the least! I'm happy to be back, but it hasn't been without it's lows. After a year away, in a culture and environment that is so different from home, I have been experiencing reverse culture shock.

The first day and a half were very odd - a bit of an out of body experience. I felt I had changed so much as a person through all the new experiences in the past year. Yet, when I returned, everything seemed exactly the same. The radio station still played the same songs and commercials. Stores still opened and closed at the same time. The bushes standing by the driveway looked the same. Everything was still going around like clockwork.

I guess the sense of oddity comes from the fact that even though I was gone, life for everyone else continued in what seems like the exact same way I left it a year ago. And once I got over that, a wave of fear washed over me. The excitement of the last year was hard to find in my surrounding environment. Crossing the street was no longer a game of Frogger, but a fairly organized event where drivers, 90% of the time will slow and stop when you set a foot on the road. Stimuli that kept me on my toes and my guard up the last year no longer existed. I feared falling into the routine I had left behind a year ago.

View from Steveston Fisherman's Wharf, Richmond, BC

While I wallowed for a day and a half at home somewhat depressed, I soon had to get out for a meeting with the Commonwealth Games Canada Game of Life Walk/Run - Vancouver committee meeting. The bus/skytrain ride out was less than inspiring - the mountains I looked forward to seeing so much were not calling my name (weird, I know!). Soon, I realized I was SO glad I got out and had that planned before I got home. Once our meeting started and we talked about where the event planning was and what needed to be done, I started to feel like myself again. I also was very glad that after the meeting I met up with some some friends and UBC Japan Association Alumni and enjoyed some very good conversation and a cheerful atmosphere. I started to feel revived again. That leads me to a piece of advice to anyone returning from an extended period of time abroad: Make plans to get out and meet people/friends before you leave to go home!

Sakura/Cherry Blossoms in full bloom beside the Burrard SkyTrain Station, Downtown Vancouver.

This past weekend I spent a lot of time outside getting reacquainted with what I love about this city. On Friday, I went out to Steveston (Richmond, BC) with CC because I had a hankering to see the ocean and have some chips (fries in Canadian speak) on this gorgeous day. We walked around the pier and the docks, looked at much of the fresh and frozen catch on the local fishing boats, had the most delicious fish and chips, and even bought some salmon roe from one of the fishermen, Tony, to make some homemade caviar with! I highly recommend Blue Comet Seafoods on the Steveston Wharf who is also found at the Vancouver Winter Market and will at various Vancouver Farmer's Markets this summer. Tony was a great to talk to and very knowledgeable about his "Ocean Wise" accreditation and sustainable salmon fishing. Following that, on Saturday, we went out to Stanley park to do a walk through of the CGC Game of Life Walk/Run on yet another gorgeous day with Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) in bloom downtown. Had a lovely family dinner once I got home and had the best steak I've had all year courtesy of mom and dad (thanks!). Sunday I got out to Westwood Plateau's Academy golf course for short round of golf with my dad on the third gorgeous day in a row with a clear view of Mt. Baker in the background. It was the first time I felt warm outside and unfortunately, my allergies to spring also attacked me. Sneezes and sniffles galore. Ugh!

View of the North Shore and Lions Gate Bridge from the Stanley Park Seawall.

So 7 days after getting back, I'm starting to feel "normal" again. I'm enjoying driving (also very weird), and grocery shopping! I also recognize that we live in such a consumerist culture here and it is VERY hard not to fall back into that habit. It helps that I'm broke and without a job so I can't buy anything!

Totem Poles, Stanley Park, Vancouver. 

So even though my adventure abroad is over, for now, I will continue to blog. I really enjoy reflecting on my thoughts and sharing many of the wondrous tidbits of information I come across in sport, recreation, life, travelling, and eating. To all the new friends I have made in the last year, I will no doubt be using this blog to try and entice you to come visit.

Ciao, for now.

April 29th - Support Sport-based Social Development Programming!

Since 1993, Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) has reached more than 1.9 million children in Africa and the Caribbean while training more than 8600 youth leaders to conduct sport-based social development programming. This year, on April 29th, 2012 in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax, you can help Sport for More, a grassroots sport program that includes HIV/AIDS education, stay‐in‐school initiatives and life skills building activities, reach even farther.

This is the first of two running events this year with causes that are close to my heart (the other being the Scotiabank Charity Challenge where I will be supporting the Canadian Liver Foundation). For more information and how to register, go to:  http://www.commonwealthgames.ca/ids/get-involved/game-of-life/index.html
(Team discounts available when groups of 10 or more people register using promo code: GCG12GOL)


For this event I won't be running, but instead will be coordinating the ceremonies. I do encourage you to get out and run/walk, but there are other ways to support the Game of Life and get involved:

1) Volunteer your time @ the race (contact me)

2) Promote the event - Pass along information about the Game of Life to your friends and family and encourage them to get involved by coming out in support of the race if they live in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, or Halifax. This could be as easy as a link on your Facebook wall, an email to your networks, twitter or other ways.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Game-of-Life-Vancouver/311484282233385

3) Donate - Any contribution big or small is always a great help and is yet another way to get involved and support the cause. (you can do so online or ask me for a pledge form)

Click on the article below to get an idea on the impact Sport for More makes!

3 weeks

With roughly three weeks to go, I wonder where my last 10.5 months have gone. It's been, what I feel like the fastest year ever for me ... not just time wise, but for personal growth and professional development as well. I'm a bit anxious about leaving ... not having a job to go back to at this point, leaving some amazing people I have met, and reconnecting with "real life" back home. I'm sure I will have more to say about this once it happens!

So to help me grasp all the thoughts I have running through my head, I decided to make a list of things I will miss and will not miss ... and the things I'm looking forward to back home.

Things I will miss:

• My fantastic SL friends who are some of the most welcoming and loving people I have ever met and have taught me to be more open to love and being loved 
• Quiz nights
• Seeing the direct impact I have with work and the relationships within work. 
• The drive from youth to learn - they take nothing for granted
• Weekend beach getaways, sunshine, and sunsets
• The beautiful scenery of this country 
• The generosity and hospitality of most Sri Lankans
• Daily Skype chats with Seylankanda :) 
• The compactness/density of the city. Just about everything is within walking distance. 

Things I will not miss:

• The madness of Colombo
• Garbage burning 
• The constant assault on my senses from honking, smells, and vehicles whizzing by
• Playing real life "Frogger" when crossing the street 
• The smell of body odor (not on me) 
• Sweating 24/7
• Stray dogs
• Significant gender inequality

Things I'm looking forward to back home: 

• Moving forward in my career 
• Fresh air 
• Cleanliness
• Pedestrian right of way 
• Snow
• Mountains
• Reconnecting with friends and making new connections 
• Decluttering my life 
• The concept of personal space

I'll be spending the next few weeks finding "closure" on this experience and concentrating on opening new doors and keeping doors open in front of me. It's been a struggle to find a job back home and I hope that once I am home it will be a bit easier!

EDIT 13-03-2012: Have been finding it hard at work ... things that I thought would be easy to finish up have not been as I learn the deeper understanding of what I've been trying to teach and show the staff in the last year is not there. We can tell them what to do and how to do it, but as soon as they are left on their own to develop their own "how to", they're lost. I'm mostly referring to the development of plans. It is more than just a list of goals or tasks and needs to include processes on how to reach those goals or complete those tasks. I'm frustrated. I felt the month prior to this had been fantastic ... from successfully bulk uploading part of the team to the London Olympic eAccreditation system to the workshop on Zeus where Richard was here. It felt like we took some huge strides forward and now we've taken a giant leap backwards. Finding it hard to focus on the successes we have had. Finding it hard to just let it go and trust that they will eventually find their own way or that it's okay if they just don't get that far.

Ironman Sri Lanka

So for those of you who follow my Tweets, you will know that the last month I had been quite tied up with Ironman Sri Lanka. Here is an article that I wrote for the Sunday Times (Education Times) that summarizes my experience:

A week ago today, an amazing event took place in Colombo that changed the face of volunteering and sport in Sri Lanka. The inaugural Ironman Sri Lanka 70.3 and 5150 took place on 19^th February, 2012 with Galle Face Green as the centerpiece of the event. Two triathlon races of different distances took place at the same time with the first swim start at 6:30am. The pier and the path on the seawall of Galle Face Green was packed with local and foreign spectators early on to watch the swim and cheer on local and foreign athletes alike. As the swimmers transitioned to the cycle portion of the race, then from the cycle to the run, spectators dispersed to other areas of the course while others carried on with their day like any other day. However, one thing stayed constant: the volunteers of Ironman Sri Lanka.

Having been a volunteer manager for more than four years and a volunteer for many more, I can say with confidence that the volunteers I worked with during Ironman Sri Lanka were some of the most enthusiastic, dedicated, and hard working I have encountered. The willingness to help anywhere and at anytime was key to the event as our needs changed from one area to another. The generosity and flexibility of the volunteers was unparalleled. With staff from Australia, Malaysia, USA, and Canada running the event – all said they have rarely worked with such easy going volunteers. On top of that, many athletes from the 35 nations that participated echoed the same sentiments.

The success of the event can easily be attributed to the cooperation and teamwork exhibited by the volunteers at this event. Many started off as strangers at the beginning of the day and then ended the day as a single team. From the start where we had lifeguards in the water and volunteers lining the route to the transition to the finish line where volunteers collected all the timing tags and ensured athletes rehydrated, the volunteers communicated where they needed help with each other and with event staff. Many volunteers had the opportunity to learn some new skills and of course, learn more about the sport of triathlon!

Our goal was to make this event a memorable one for the participants. According to all the staff, the volunteers exceeded expectations and extended the memorable experience to everyone – including spectators, supporters, and family members . The generosity and hospitality that Sri Lankans are known for shined bright during this event. All Ironman Sri Lanka volunteers can be proud that they were described as incredible, amazing, friendly, helpful, cheerful, and nice. What a fantastic way to represent your country and be ambassadors for this event.

The Education Times club had a strong presence sending out about 80 volunteers for the event. Additionally, we had strong representation from the Rotoract Club of Colombo Fort, University of Colombo Senior Oarsmen Club, Hearts and Hands of Humanity, and Rainbow Aquatics Club.  Thank you to these organisations for recruiting and bringing your groups out to participate!

A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers for working tirelessly to make this event a success. Also, thank you for all the feedback you have provided to us to help us make next year an even better event. The next Ironman Sri Lanka is set to take place February 2013. Keep checking into www.ironmansrilanka.com for the latest news about the event. We hope to see all of you and more out again next year!  

Some photos can be found here: 

http://www.finisherpix.com/photo-browser.html?&pcevent=0264

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150807839299251.516471.50178609250&type=3

"I feel like I'm in a reality show"

The title of this blog was muttered many a times last weekend. Just wanted to summarize the out of this world and sometimes funny and sometimes shocking moments we had on our trip down to the Carlton Super Sports Festival in Tissamaharama last weekend. Felt like we were on a leg of the Amazing Race. =P

Background: Heading to the triathlon portion of the Carlton Super Sports weekend to promote Ironman Sri Lanka. S and A from HFP Racing who are the foreign organisers of Ironman Sri Lanka are planning to compete in this local triathlon. I, was planning to do results for the triathlon.

12pm: Meeting in Colombo with the Tourism Board ... leads to a meeting with the Ministry of Defense at 1pm. After our meeting with the Tourism Board, we roll up to the security outside the Ministry of Defense with 6 people in a 5 pax car. The car is too weighed down to get up on the ramp of the entrance. Security waves us to the alternate entrance. We get in. Cell phones confiscated. Metal detector. Pat down. We're through. Set back our departure time by one hour.

2pm: Meeting done and back at the Taj hotel. Super hungry. Lunch. The guys speed pack.

3pm: We're off for one more pick up.

4pm: Finally on our way through Kotte. Super congested. Reach the Southern Expressway at about 4:30pm.

5:15pm: 2/3 down the way car breaks down. Something smells over heated. We hang out on the side of the highway waving to passersby and have a good chuckle. Pile back into the car - go the rest of the way in 2nd gear and travelling on the shoulder.

5:45pm: Reach the toll booth at the Galle (Pinnaduwa) exit ... the stop causes the car to essentially stop running. The gear box won't catch. We pull over. Call for a tow. B breaks out her hula hoop - we hula a bit, do some kung fu moves, eat some mandarin oranges, ride a local bike and wave to more locals.

6:45pm: Tow from Galle arrives. This little truck is attached to the car with a tether that looks like "a bunch of bedsheets tied together". Away we go on a 5km tow to Galle at about 30km/h.

7:15pm: We reach Galle. Pulling into the repair shop, a scooter fails to see the tether between the car and truck and runs right into it. Thank goodness it was at the wheel and didn't clothesline the rider. Rider is shaken, but okay. They start to look at the car. We look to food. Into a local restaurant we go - two Lion Strong beers make things better for most of us. Awesome fried rice. Yum! Call the triathlon organizers saying I might not make it to Tissa. Summary? I have to make it for the end of the event not because they need my skills, but they need my computer to actually do the results. Contemplate transport and accommodation options.

9:00pm: Van hired to drive us to Tissa.

10:00pm: We depart for Tissa. Call guy we're supposed to borrow bikes from for S & A's participation in the triathlon. No answer.

12:00am: Try calling for bikes again, no answer.

2:30am: Finally arrive at Yala Heights in Tissamaharama. Unload. Sleep.

6:00am: Wake. Breakfast.

7:30am: Call for bikes again - phone is off. Advised to go physically and pick up bikes anyways. Try to relay that to our jeep driver.

8:20am: Arrive at race site. Didn't stop at bike pick up - driver didn't understand us. Lost cause!

8:30am: Scheduled race start. Doesn't happen. More time to find bikes!

9:00am: B secures two bikes from passersby for S & A. One is a rusty single speed purple cruiser. Second is a rusty single speed plain 'ol bike!

9:30am: Tri starts. S & A shockingly are not in the lead out of the water. We later find out many people "walked" the swim. S tries to go on the "regular"bike but has difficulties with the bike seat. Friendly local offers his nice mountain bike for S to race on and off S goes. Amazing. A completes cycle portion on cruiser bike! Could really have used some WD40. S is finished the run course at this point. Goes back out on the run course with A.

11:30am: I'm doing results. Race is over. B gives 1000LKR ($10) to guy we borrowed purple bike from. He beams like there's no tomorrow. Trying to coordinate meeting with CSN, the organisers of the Super Sports weekend, who would eventually become a sponsor of Ironman Sri Lanka. Would have done promotions but left promotion materials back in the car. Find out that person we want to meet with never came down for the event weekend is back in Colombo. Time to arrange transport back to Colombo.

3:00pm: Multiple phone calls later, transport finally arrives arranged through the amazing My Village Guesthouse that Chad and I stayed in back in November. Love these guys. Our other alternative was through a different connection in Galle - 3.5 hours away (yes, they would have come to pick us up all they way from Galle just to drive us back to Colombo. crazy).

10:00pm: Finally back in Colombo.

Not a typical weekend, for sure. 

Maldives - Male and Maafushi

Again, delayed in true Sri Lankan fashion. A cab we called for to pick us up at 4am to take us to the airport didn't find us until 4:30am. Anyways, we get to the airport, checked in, then after a short wait our flight was off to the Maldives!

About an hour later we could see below us the beautiful atolls and islands that makes up this incredibly beautiful nation. Being handed a landing card also provided us with some interesting facts. For example, did you know that materials deemed contrary to Islam, including "idols for worship" and "bibles" are illegal? Before arriving I had no idea the country was 100% Islamic.

The local ferry fully equipped with couch up front - probably just someone
shipping it from Male to Maafushi. 

We landed in Male on Saturday morning and it was an Islamic holiday so not much was open. We walked around trying to find some traditional Maldivian breakfast, but as it is often like in Sri Lanka, these local shops were filled with men and I just wasn't comfortable enough to walk in, even with Chad by my side. I think it's mostly because tourists to the Maldives don't see much of Male or local life as they only go through the airport to their waiting resort transfer. We eventually found a more Western cafe that served a Maldivian breakfast. We had about 4 hours to kill so we walked around some more after breakfast, found a supermarket, bought some food I hadn't in forever (i.e. Grass Jelly Drink!) and went to the city beach to snack a bit. After sometime, our guesthouse owner helped us find the local ferry and we were on our 1.5 hour boat ride to Maafushi!

Weather didn't look too great, but we were hopeful. On our way to Maafushi it started to rain a bit. We passed by numerous giant resorts and were anxious to see what our accommodations would look like for the next 5 nights. We arrived to gorgeous green and turquoise waters and a gentleman with a wheelbarrow waiting to walk us to our guesthouse. A short 300m walk later, we arrived at the White Shell Beach Inn that was well, right on the beach!

The gorgeous view - every day! 

The beach itself was small but where the locals frequent for a "sea bath" - Sri Lankan and Maldivian talk for a dip/swim in the ocean. It was GORGEOUS ... every morning we woke up and had breakfast with a view of the gleaming turquoise waters and bright white sand.

Some of the garbage strewn about and washes up ashore
on Maafushi.

We took our first day easy and met up with a local Council Member/Couchsurfer host, Ibrahim (thanks Habib for the connection!) who chatted with us and told us about the island, politics, culture, and environmental issues plaguing his country. As beautiful as the beach we stayed at was, not far from it and also on the other side of the island were piles of garbage strewn everywhere. The locals have not yet learned how to respect their land and the ocean, despite the fact their economy depends highly on both. After a slooow morning and afternoon just hanging out, we went on a night fishing trip with a Singaporean couple that arrived in the afternoon. We had a great night catching loads of fish while floating peacefully in the dark near a reef. We returned to the guesthouse with our catch where we got to pick the fish we wanted to eat and the guesthouse bbq'd it for us. YUM!

Relaxing at Biyadhoo!

Day two took us to Biyadhoo Island Resort where we could freely drink and sun tan in bikinis. Yes, those are also restrictions in this Islamic country. Being ultra-conservative, alcohol is illegal except on resort islands along with women wearing bikinis. Women in the Maldives go for a swim usually covered head to toe and if not, with pants/capris and a t-shirt on. We asked our guesthouse to pack us a breakfast which we had on the beach and then had lunch in the bar at the resort. I spent most of the day chasing fish in the water - best snorkelling I've had so far. Lots of coral (not multi-coloured everywhere though like they show in the tour guides) but plenty of fish and other sea life including a Moray eel. It was great!

The giant fish. See sunglasses for scale.

Day three was mellow day where we hung around the guesthouse until late afternoon where we went on a snorkelling excursion. The snorkelling was alright ... nothing we hadn't seen until we saw a manta ray! It was just chilling in the sand. Along the way, what did irk me was the family, who were weak swimmers, were taken on this excursion. The currents were moderate and they struggled the whole time even with life vests. They didn't use flippers and they probably should have. Not sure it would have made a difference, but my heart broke a little when the mother and father stood on coral, then broke some coral when the father kicked off again go get back to the boat. We never made it - the boat had to come to us. Props to the Maldivian snorkelling guide! He was practically dragging the family of three. We followed this up with more night fishing. It would have been peaceful except the little one of that family of three was a little terror - as he was through the entire stay. That aside, it was a quiet night without many bites, but it was this night that Chad caught the biggest fish of the trip!

Day four was another fairly slow start. I had been set on doing some squid/octopus catching so the guesthouse arranged for a couple locals to come guide us along the reef just off the shore of Maafushi. We were out there for about an hour and thought we were going to go back empty handed. However, at the very end when we were nearing our starting point, one of the guys did spear and catch an octopus. We were going to eat it for lunch but the poor time management of the guesthouse and kitchen ran the octopus excursion into our dolphin watching excursion. We asked them to save it for our dinner so that we and the Singaporean couple could take it to Ibrahim's for dinner that night. And quickly we were off again! On our first and third day we were able to spot dolphins from our guesthouse so the chances of spotting them by boat seemed like a shoe-in. Sadly, we scoured the waters around North Male Atoll for probably an hour with no luck. Our captain figured he needed to turn this excursion into something somewhat exciting so we did more night fishing! A few more bites than the night before (but nothing like the first night) and before we knew it we had dinner for the evening and headed back in.

Picnic Island. 

Day five was our final day and the day we were heading back to Male. We were going to take an early morning ferry, but was offered to share a speedboat transfer with the Singaporean couple later that day. It made a lot of sense since it would let us enjoy the day at Picnic Island before we went back to Male late afternoon. What a brilliant decision. Had a fantastic day on the almost deserted island with the occasional boat stopping over. This island truly was set up for for picnics. There were plenty of picnic tables and loungers for people to spend the day there. There was a stranded ship that looked like it had been there for quite some time about 300m off shore (Chad walked to it, I didn't). The waters were gorgeously clear and there was a sandbank at one end of the island. Bliss! When the boat came back to pick us up to go to Male we were certainly sad to go!

Male wasn't so bad. Many people say it's just a really busy city with nothing much to it. Yes, in some respects it is that, but I quite enjoyed their fruit market and seeing the mosque and Islamic Centre at night. Also to top it off, we booked at Sala Boutique Hotel which was an amazing place that was totally worth the splurge. Thomas, the owner, was such a hands on manager who looked after every detail to ensure our stay was perfect - even though we were only there for one night. He certainly knows the value of a happy guest! We had dinner there that night in his Thai restaurant where all the ingredients are flown in from Thailand each week (sorry my carbon footprint was not small that meal). That may have very well been the best Thai meal I've ever had. Then for breakfast it was German with ... you guessed it; ingredients flown in from Germany each week. He had bread that was homemade and baked in house - the best bread I'd had since leaving Vancouver! Chad was raving about the yogurt ... so good that I broke my lactose ban and had some. Agreed - so good I would replace ice cream with it.

After that wonderful breakfast we explored Male a little more before going to the airport late morning to catch the flight back to Colombo. I really didn't want to go! Now our mission is to find somewhere just as nice in the Caribbean which is just a little easier to get to!

Chad then had two more days in Colombo. I was really happy that he got to see and hang out with some of my friends here when one of them hosted a little get together at her place. We got to have some what of a "normal" routine where we actually cooked some meals and Chad got some homework done (he's finishing his CMA). It was a sad goodbye at the end of the weekend, but also optimistic knowing the larger half of my placement was over and that we would be able to spend time together in person again in less than 6 months.

You can see the Facebook album here.

And that my friends, is the end of Denise and Chad's Excellent Adventure. I'm certain we'll have many more adventures to come, and I promise not to take so long to blog about them!