PONIES are out, make room for DONKEYS!

Today, I realized something very special.

I am over ponies.

Truly 100% over those mean picture perfect fuzzy little buggars.

DONKEYS ARE REALLY WHAT GETS MY GOAT!

What made me change my MIND you ask?

A little video from the New York Times.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE WONDERFUL STAFF THERE!

Hah.

Watch 4 mins of magic HERE

That's all I got on a Sunday.

;-)

Things That Aren't Said Enough.

Less than a 8 months ago 
my best friend lost her father to cancer.

I can barely say those words out loud let alone 
write them down on paper...

The whole situation just doesn't feel right.

It doesn't seem real.

And when I stop and actually let myself think about it,

about what happened,

about who is missing,

about the irreversibility of the whole situation...

My head pounds and my heart aches. 

Death makes me feel like a kid.

A kid in math class, to be specific.

Errrr why?

Because I often remember sitting in the front row, 

looking at the board and just feeling so helpless.

I just didn't get it.

And I mean, really didn't get it.

I hated everything about math.

And had trouble doing everything... you name it! 

Things like algebra,
adding negative integers,
and let's not forget those bloody word problems.

Ugggggggh, 

I HATE WORD PROBLEMS!

But all I can really remember 
(other than the damn word problems)
is how math made me feel.

Confused. 

Frustrated.

Utterly helpless. 

And to lose someone like Peko well.... he was "originality" at it's finest.

Peko knew what he liked and knew what he did not like.
He told you truths about you that normally take a life time to figure out.
(He would do it over morning coffee...like it was nothing)

HAH.

He was a gracious man with a wicked sense of humour.
And a laugh that would make anyone look twice.
I was in awe of him.
He was a delight.
A man that always left an impression on me.
A man I will always miss.

I am thinking of you Peko.
Just wanted you to know.

Lolo

Old version of Lauren = Younger version of Lauren....Really?

I was clearing and digging through some old papers

(as one does when they live abroad and 
lug all their crap from place to place)

when I came upon an old collection of poems
that I wrote my last year of highschool.

I am not a poet but s*it.
I made myself tear up a little.

*****

“Two Babies” by Lauren Wells

Two babies were born

Fate dividing nature’s love

Special little fingers, matching little toes

Mother’s exhausted but can’t get enough

First it’s matching diapers

Little socks on tiny feet

Two new baby beauties

Sprawled on the double-crib’s soft sheet

Both twins should be growing,

But one seems to refuse

Worried doctors look her over

This one won’t be tying her shoes

Scared parents wring their hands

Games become less fun to play

Brand new medicines arrive

No more carefree holidays

Childhood marches on

As the family tries to cope

Everyone grows up faster

But never gives up hope

The special twin is the centerpiece

Of the family’s daily rituals

Trying to find some semblance of normal

Huddled together for late-night vigils

Struggling to accept what’s been given

My hardest task of all

Hoping that someday Rhiannon will get better

Hoping for a sign of change, even small

Off I go while she stays back home

Determine to live a life without regret

Determine to live a life for two

Failing, failing, failing again - why can’t I get it yet?

Two babies were born

Fate dividing nature’s love

Living lives forever traveling in opposite directions

Unable to change but alway fighting what cannot be undone.

This summer 2016 - picnicking!
HAH!

Drinking vodka - shots!

KIDDING!

Taking turns closing our eyes for the camera.

So...yeah.

This Never Gets Old...EVER~!

Kristina Roic

this is a SHOUT OUT TO YOU!

Why?

Cuz you need a little more PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION.

Cheers to that.

(and us getting older together)

SCHOOLS BACK - Blast Off With Drawing on the Tables????

So...why not?

A little drawing on the tables to make connections between

objects and the IB Learner Profile?

WHY NOT!?!

Red is one of the hardest colours to get off...but it DOES (eventually) come off!

Why not also draw concept maps on tables???

Perhaps a concept map of LOOOOOVEEEEE?

I wonder what we can draw on our tables, next week?

Family Time? My Cup NEVER Runneth Over (a.k.a. Not Enough Time)

When living abroad and coming home for the summer... 

It's hard to say good-bye to family when you've 

missed almost a year of their lives.

But it's even HARDER to explain

how much it hurts to see them living their lives without you... 

(And getting on, just fine for that matter)

How many times can you really say "I miss you"

before it starts to lose it's value?

Or even the words "I love you?"

Some moments are never to be forgotten...

While others, definitely are.

Whenever I travel home from overseas, 

I struggle with the idea of 

"coming home" or "moving back to Canada"

to be closer to family.

But when given the chance,

most people take for granted the proximity of family and 

suddenly you don't appreciate 

being home for dinner every Sunday night.

That doesn't happen when living abroad.

Why can't the grass be green on BOTH sides of the fence?

Sigh*

After all this time, 

I still don't know what to do.

So...yeah.

I am still percolating on this matter.

Can Nature Really Hurt or Heal You?

Only two weeks back in Hanoi and 
already I am feeling a difference 
in my body when I run.

This was the view of one of my many runs in Nanaimo this past summer.

Beautiful scenery, 

warm sun (but not too hot),

slight breeze and soft-forest floors for natural padding.

Ahhhhh - life was good.

I felt like running was time where I could 

think,

breath,

and just find some inner peace.

It made running 17 km somewhat enjoyable.

Okay, maybe not that much...

But now?

I face this kind of thick brush, 

jungle life,

and 

overwhelming HEAT! 

Don't believe me?

Although my legs are NOT in the best shape,

those spandex were dry before I started running.

No only are they shiny after 20 minutes 

BUT

those baby's were DRENCHED by the end of the run.

The kind of "uncomfortable" to "impossibly" wet.

Water was absolutely spilling everywhere

which really means I was a red hot mess of sweat.

Ew.

On average, 

the temperature in Vietnam during the month of August is 

around mid to high 30 Celsius.

Add the humidity 

(the humidity is the amount of water in the air)

and it feels closer to 40 degrees.

A wet, hot, hard to breath air = sweaty mess if you ask me. 

So what to do?

Especially when running is a major component to my workout

regime at the moment?

AND

Decided to do this again this year.

So again, what to do?

Some studies now suggest that running in the heat can almost be 

like training at higher altitudes.

Although not the exact same, the effort of running in the heat is

more challenging than no heat at all.

Either way, 

I am trying to be smart and not 

fretting TOO MUCH about just how bloody slow&sluggish 

I feel.

Sigh*

Although I do miss the mountains and the sea breeze of

my Nanaimo runs...my Hanoi sunsets will have to do.

For now.