On A Whim

About a week ago, I decided to go on vacation. For those of you who have seen my instagram photos, you will already know this. For those of you who haven’t seen them, take a look at the instagram links to the bottom right of this blog–assuming you are on the actual blog page and not just the low graphics reader version.

I am jetting off to Marrakech….shortly.

Some thoughts….in no particular order

• From the moment I mentioned this to my father, he has been singing the Crosby Stills and Nash song to me and everyone.
• I am not sure this is the perfect time to travel, but it seems like I should be living rather than waiting.
• There are many more hoops to jump through, but I guess that isn’t a bad thing.
• I have to wear my mask all day at work, so I don’t suppose wearing one during the flight will feel much different.
• I was casually looking at bicycle trips and found a fantastic sounding one that crossed three countries in the Andes. The price was high, but it was a rather long trip. It was also by a company I had not heard of and didn’t have many reviews. I was interested, but a bit wary.
• In that same search, I found a very discounted trip to Morocco. I wasn’t really considering it until several of my co-workers mentioned that they had been there and LOVED it.
• This is a bicycle trip, so those following me on Strava can see my daily routes.
• I’ve got some time before and after the trip to do my own thing.
• I am thinking of taking a hot air balloon ride.
• I wish I were a better packer.
• There is snow where I live, so you can imagine that I am really looking forward to some warmer weather. Unfortunately, I have to wear some of those heavy clothes to the airport.
• When I land in Paris, I will have officially circled the whole globe. I have flown from here to Japan. I have flown from Japan to Paris. Now, I will fly from here to Paris. It isn’t a Perfect circle, but still interesting.
• I have crossed the tropic of Cancer, but I have crossed neither the Equator nor the tropic of Capricorn. One day, I hope to do this. (I have read both books, but you might not find that interesting)

Love in the time of Coronavirus

Despite the lockdown, and despite the doom and gloom that hangs over my employment, I did find something worthy of the title of Perfect Moment.

This time last year, my girlfriend and I spent the day walking in High Park viewing the cherry blossoms.  We spent a day wandering the city, trying good food, and living what used to be a normal life.  Oh how things are different.

This year we were meant to see a performance of Cirque Du Soleil.  It was a hybrid performance with both ice skating and circus performances.  We were so looking forward to it.  At the beginning of this terrible time, I held out hope that things would get solved and we would be able to see it.  How wrong I was.

If you’re not seeing the “Perfect” in this, I can understand.  The “Perfect” is more on a personal level. My girlfriend and I celebrated an anniversary of sorts–we’re a nontraditional couple, so we celebrate at nontraditional times.  The pictures might include food and a bit of nature from our walk, but it is the person who I spent those times with that makes them more Perfect.

This weekend was, for me, a chance to reflect on how much better my life is than it used to be–coronavirus notwithstanding.  I distinctly remember asking the universe for a whole list of things.  While they haven’t all been delivered yet, at least one of them was.  Not to be too mushy, but I got more than a Perfect Moment from this relationship.

The Future is Coming

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

As I get over the hump in another week of online teaching, I have had some time to reflect and wonder what will come of all this.  I don’t mean the virus and the impact prolonged social distancing will have.  We may change our social habits, but we will still want to be social.  I was thinking more about work.

If you have had to transition to working from home, you may find it frustrating and not particularly appealing.  I know that I don’t.  I don’t miss the commute, though I no longer have weird and wonderful people to write about.  That was a big part of my blog.  Being stuck on a commuter bus definitely required some grasping at positives to make the journey less awful.

The thing is, once you’ve proven that working from home is possible, will they want you to come to work?  The company could save on office space and other overhead costs.  Maybe this is the new norm.

Being thrust into a new situation probably forced us to learn new skills and new techniques.  While stressful, this is not a bad thing.  And if you went to work and stared at a computer screen at your desk, then this isn’t much different.

I am used to teaching in a classroom and interacting with students a bit differently.  I didn’t spend my time staring at a screen, but rather looking at the students faces for signs of comprehension or confusion.  It isn’t as easy on screen, but I may have to get used to it.  This might be the future.

Who am I kidding.  This is the present for lots of people.  I have been hearing about online tutoring jobs for Chinese students for the past couple of years.  I never looked into it because I wasn’t interested.  However, a new source of income might be needed.

I ramble on because I am reflecting on my job and wondering how it will all turn out.  When I started writing I was thinking about how the nature of work is rapidly changing and might not change back…then I seemed to get a bit sidetracked and wound up here.  I guess that isn’t much different from the way things are for all of us.

If you have been transitioned to working from home during this time, I would like to hear about your experience and what you think will happen in the future.

Night Biking in Medellin.

We arrived in Medellin around six, maybe earlier.   The flight was quite nice. I forget how much of a novelty it is to board and deplane on the tarmac.  The view of the country was beautiful.

Since we were trying to make up time we lost, they sent us on the bike ride.  We were doing it after dark, which was a first for the company.   I  give them credit, they armed us with lights, a big bottle of water,  a scarf for the fumes, and a reflective safety vest.  I was really enjoying it, but I  wondered about the safety of the thing for others.

The beginning was a bit scary,  but eventually we found our way to the bike paths, which are quite developed and set apart from traffic.  We covered quite a distance, which I captured a bit of on my action camera.  I also started Strava, but forgot to turn off when we were done, so I deleted it.

We saw many interesting buildings and learned about some of the great initiatives being taken to improve Medellin for everyone.

For dinner, after the ride, we had a curious mix of fruit,  granola,  and yogurt.   My stomach and other parts have still not recovered,  so I approach each meal with caution.

We finished the tour and went for drinks at a local place.  I  think the name was Taicho.  The area our hotel is in is a raucous nightclub zone, and the odd pairing of tourists with skimpily attired young women (as well as similarly dresses women approaching men on the street) indicates the world’s oldest profession is alive and well here.

Recovery and Snags

We got an early start to the day.  We left our hotel at six with a packed lunch.  I was feeling better, so I managed to eat the boring sandwich.

We made a stop at a cute roadside place.  I bought some yogurt and relaxed.  That’s when we heard the news that the road ahead was washed out.

This set off a shitstorm (pardon my language) of griping and arguing.  The group is fracturing and people want to go there own way.  Several hours later, nothing has been solved.

So, we made our way to Bucaramanga by climbing over mountains at low speed.  It was bumpy but, at times,  gorgeous.

We checked into a fancy hotel–part of the Solar Chain.  We went out to eat, but the bumpy ride aggravated my stomach and I could only nibble at my meal.

Highs and Lows

I did something very adventurous yesterday.   I went paragliding.  I took a 4k video of it,  but I won’t be able to load it up until I get back.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time.   I  don’t think I will ever go bungee jumping, nor do I expect to go skydiving.  Paragliding, however, is another matter. One person described it like being in an airplane without the airplane around you.   It was so beautiful and serene.

I also visited a Colombian bike shop.  They had some fantastic equipment for sale.   My eyes were drawn to a Colombian jersey.  Sadly, they did not have my size.

Sadly,  after our drive to Barichara,  my stomach became upset and I have mostly slept the day away.   It has been pretty bad.  People at home are worried about me.  I think finally,  I am getting better.

I still can’t upload any of my pictures.   Please check my Instagram.

My Second Day in Bogota.

 

My breakfast, while the same as yesterday, was great for three reasons.  The first is that there was a table free outside.  It wasn’t as quiet as eating inside, but it is a great feeling to eat out of doors.  The second is that I stumbled upon some people in my travel group.  It is always nice to meet people in a relaxed setting–and breakfast is about as relaxed as you can get.  The third is that the chef remembered me and my order from the day before.   That always makes me feel good.

I visited three places inBogota today.  The first was the gold museum.  It was interesting to learn how thenatives used gold for political purposes.  The second was to take the funicular to the highest peak in Bogota.  The view was great, but I left it too late in the day and the sky had become overcast.  Later, I visited the house of Simon Bolivar.  I don’t know enough about the history of South America to get the full benefit, but I do have something I can study later.  The furniture and gardens were lovely.

With the exception of the funicular, the museums have all been reasonably priced–less than two dollars, or free.  It makes me wonder why this isn’t the case at home.

 

I met the group we are going to be traveling with.  We took a short orientation tour and went out for dinner.  I recommended what I had for lunch at the Gold museum.   The name is Ajiaco.

When it’s Winter Outside

The weather forecasters were right for once and we got a ton of snow. It has been coming down all day from late morning until night.  While you read this blog Sunday morning, I will have donned my boots and I will be outside shovelling.  And strictly for your information, I will be doing it old school.  I do not have a snow blower or riding lawnmower with snowplough attachment.

So, if I am grumbling, what in the world could be Today’s Perfect Moment? Never fear, I do have one.  As the early morning sun gave way to the daylong snowfall, I was inside spending a dating day with the girlfriend.  We had some delicious food looking out at the accumulating snow.  We watched a mediocre movie as the snowdrifts formed.  We ate cappuccino frozen yoghurt while traffic slowed to a near standstill.  While people clutched their coats even closer to keep the wind from penetrating, we were toasty warm and watching it all through the windows.

Sadly, I had to take a bus home from all of that and I had to venture out into the snowy wonderland. It was so bad that I had to walk on the road and I realized that my cool charcoal grey, almost black jacket really wasn’t effective for the dark and snowy night.  I think I am going to have to get a brighter one for my safety.

A Break from the Noise

In light of the days events, writing about A Perfect Moment seems callous and is quite hard. The media and even the people around me are all talking about war and death.  Everyone is waiting for the Trump speech in the morning.  Everyone is putting forward their theories and ideas.  I would find it surprising if anyone wanted to talk about my new computer, a chat with a friend about a possible cycling vacation to somewhere I had never even considered before, or some nonsense about sleeping late and drinking way too much coffee in the morning.

Or maybe we need an antidote to all the depressing news around us. Maybe, I should just ramble on and if you are not interested right now, I would invite you to come back later.  If you would like to take your eyes and minds off of what everyone tells you is war, keep reading.

New Computer

I bought a new computer recently, but hadn’t turned it on. I love the idea of new technology, but I just worried that all the changes would be overwhelming.  I like change and can adapt to it well, but I don’t always initiate it well.  In the case of a new computer, I know I’ve got to import or transfer documents and programs and lots of stuff.  If it were like my phone, I could do it in a flash.  Sadly, that is not the case.

The main thing is it is now on and ready to use when I am ready to use it.

New Vacation Idea

A friend who I had met on a cycling trip in Vietnam and met again on a cycling trip of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam suggested we meet up for another trip at the end of the year.  We found a date we both liked and checked out some trips.  Having explored Asia together, more trips there seemed a bit superfluous–though I still want to get to Laos and Sri Lanka.  Also, since I am on my way to Colombia in the near future, and I feel like I just got back from Costa Rica, both Central and South America were a bit lower down on the ranking.  So, it seems like we might be going to South Africa.  I really had not even had that on the radar, but one look at some of the photos completely changed that.

Sleeping Late

Catching up on sleep seems wise. It leads to late nights.  This leads to writing blogs late at night as well.  I suppose that could be considered a win-win situation….until the next morning when I am on the bus and wishing I were still in bed.

From Where I am Standing

My current classroom has a few drawbacks. It’s size is larger than we need, so some students are too far away.  There also aren’t enough seating spaces for the students.  I suppose this is because the room is too narrow.  Or maybe someone didn’t do their math.  The room also has weird temperature fluctuations making it hot when I want it cool, and cool when I want it hot.

The one advantage the room has is that it is a corner room with an interesting urban view. Today, while I gave my students a mock test, I got another chance to appreciate that.  While they struggled with the material, I had the opportunity to look outside and wonder.

Had my students all passed the test with flying colours, then that would be Today’s Perfect Moment. Instead, this view will have to do.