bonny’s vego feast

A friend and I dined at Bonnys last night – a Montreal hot spot for vegetarian and organic cuisine. We shared a plate of indonesian satay noodles, green salad and quinoa taboleh. Desert included a vegan chocolate mousse and a chocolate brownie (with soy icecream). The food was delicious, especially the brownie… and the service friendly… If you’re in town, check it out!

friendship, sunshine + lakeside bliss

I turned 30 last week. Dismissing ideas of giant parties, expensive restaurants and a big night out on the town, I decided the perfect way to celebrate was to gather together all the people in montreal who have impacted, inspired and energised the latest chapter in my life’s adventures and whisk them away to a luxurious lakeside cottage for the weekend.

With the sun shining brightly all weekend, we sunbaked, canoed, danced, played board games, snoozed in the sun, cooked up giant feasts of food, hiked in the forest and laughed ourselves silly…

The cottage itself was beautiful with its open-planned kitchen and living space, exposed beams and stylish wood finishings. The sun drenched the upstairs living space due to the giant south-facing windows, which looked over the lake.

Somehow they managed to surprise me with a cake and balloon-filled room (I’m not easily surprised!). And then to top it off, each guest told me three things they love about me! I was blown away completely. It’s not often that friends share this kind of stuff with each other – especially in a group situation. And everything they said resonated so deeply, which intensified the moment even more. These people haven’t known me for very long at all, yet they knew me so well and understand me!

I feel so loved! And I’m so grateful to have such wonderful people around me. I’m constantly blown away by friend’s energy, spontaneity, nurturing, wildness, lovingness, kindness, intelligence, patience, creativity, truthfulness, centred-ness… so to hear that my friends are inspired and impacted by these things in me was humbling and exciting. It made me cry. Bigtime.

Friendship is something that is so important to me – human connection in its purest form. So I guess, for me, this weekend was about celebrating the love that I share with those around me. It wasn’t just about me and the milestone I’ve reached. Without the support, love and encouragement of friends throughout the many twists and turns of my life, I wouldn’t be where I am and I certainly wouldn’t have developed the courage to be who I am, seeking the path that is true to me.

So this is a big fat thanks to y’all out there who have shared a connection with me at some point along the crazy 30 year journey that is my life. I’m grateful for what you’ve taught me. I’m excited by what we have shared together. I’m inspired by your strength, devotion and determination to seek out your own truth. I’m humbled by your patience. I’m delighted by your kindness, nurturing and support.

And I’m looking forward to creating new memories with you when our paths cross again soon!

A beach oasis in my living room!

Two nights ago I struggled home in the freezing cold to discover my heating turned up to the max and bikini-clad friends dancing to AC/DC in my living room! My friends had turned my apartment into a giant beach oasis complete with giant sun, ocean, mini bqq, kangaroos, snakes and camels. A surprise party in my honour largely due to my homesickness of late…

We cooked a vege sausage sizzle by the ‘seaside’, ate cheese and bickies while drinking beer and wine. And an australian celebration is apparently not complete without the stock standard aussie deserts: Sara had made a pavlova, Daniel made lamingtons and Alyssa made a tasty – yet bizarre, and rather phallic(!) – desert with bananas on sticks dipped in chocolate and coconut (this desert is apparently – according to an australia day website – one of Australia’s most popular deserts!?? I’d never heard of it before!)

Alyssa also made a giant salad in the shape of the aboriginal flag as a symbol of the hidden truths behind ‘Australia Day’.

We laughed and threw stereotypical aussie insults and slang at each other, teased each other about our accents, chatted excitedly about travels before moving on to more serious topics revolving around issues such as white supremacy, colonialism, and the genocide, suffering and struggle of Australian indigenous people.

I feel special. I don’t think anyone has ever put on a surprise party in my honour before. And what a delicious reminder of the beautiful friendships I’ve made in the last six months since hanging out in Montreal. I think I’ll stop there before I get – you know – all soppy and stuff. But I will say: thanks folks. I feel honoured to have crossed paths with y’all. And I’m grateful for having such beautiful, amazing people in my current daily life happenings…

an ode to all the sara(h)s in my life

Everywhere I live there always seems to be a sara(h) that wriggles cheekily into my life… There are two types of sara(h)s: ‘sara-with-an-h’ and ‘sara-without-an-h’… It can be hard to tell them apart in your first encounter. But don’t worry, she’s sure to tell you immediately…

And what delightful creatures they are! Warm, fuzzy, friendly, intelligent, insightful and fun. Their creativity almost always leads them to paint, dance, make films, write or sing. While some do such things for a living, for most of them: creativity is simply their being. Their life is a continuous song where they dance to the rhythm of their hearts…

…and what big hearts…

Helping others is what these compassionate little creatures do best. Whether it’s homeless women, refugees, dental patients or the environment, sara(h)s will often be found working towards a better future for all.

And their curiosity always leads them on the most amazing adventures: climbing mountains, traveling the world, spontaneous bush parties, producing films and cycling cycling everywhere… (I almost forgot: sara(h)s love their bikes. Some much more than others…)

…Be sure to know, if there’s a sara(h) nearby you’re in for a special treat!

A new sara-without-an-h has just popped into my life at the coop. You can get to know all about her here!

cycling adventures with madame m. fox – part one

Vancouver – Victoria (and surrounds)
Distance Covered: 80km

Since arriving in Canada, Madame M. Fox (my well-loved mountain bike) and I have been aching to hit the road with panniers full of camping goodness. But where should we head?

All roads leading out of Vancouver beckoned with promises of beautiful scenery and adventures on the road. To the east, roads wound their way through thick coastal forest and up into the silvery, snow-capped mountains. Beyond the mountains lay the rugged prairies. The coastal mountain range, lakes, inlets of the Sunshine Coast were just north west of Vancouver, while the rolling hills, rainforests, old growth forests (well, what was left of them!), and scenic coastal lines of Vancouver island were just a short ferry ride from south Vancouver… so many choices! what to do?

But when we heard about Victoria’s 2009 Bike Prom, our decision was made. Who could resist an event that not only celebrates bikes, but promises to lure you back to the wonders of your high school graduation. hmmmm I was a tad curious….

So my plan evolved into a month of cycling up Vancouver Island and back down the Sunshine coast to arrive back in Vancouver around the beginning of June.

But first stop: Bike Prom! Bike Prom is an annual event hosted by bike-loving extraordinaires in Victoria – a city on the southern most tip of Vancouver island, the capital of British Columbia.

Held over three days, the event included bike races, art shows, moonlight mystery rides, bike polo games, bike films, and culminated in a massive masquerade-themed ball that seemed suspiciously similar to my high school prom (or ‘formal’ as we’d call it in Australia) only on bikes. One highlight of the evening was the pre-ball mystery ride which saw over 60 dressed-up cyclists weave their way through the streets of Victoria, whizz along the southern coastline of the island and scamper up a small hill to watch the sun go down where we were serenaded by local gypsy band Orkestar Slivovica.

Another highlight of the evening was seeing a performance by the Velovixens – a local bike-themed physical theatre group. Using theatre, dance, music, and imagery, they performed a simple yet effective and provocative piece called the ‘rat race’, which provided commentary on society’s obsession with materialism. With an astounding stage presence, these girls were an absolute hit with the audience who cheered and screamed wildly when they finished their number. It was so clear that the performers were enjoying every minute of being on stage and this enthusiasm, fun, energy and focus trickled back to the audience. We felt it. And that’s what the Velovixens are about. They aren’t interested in producing slick, polished high end art; they’re out to have fun, with a mind to educate and inform their audiences about varying ‘sustainability’ issues as they perform.

And so this was my introduction to Victoria. A sneak peak into the bike/art/activist scene. Quite a fun scene too.

Getting to Victoria from Vancouver was simply a ferry ride and a 30km bike ride from Swartz Bay along the Lochside Regional Trail – a cycling/walking trail that runs parallel to the highway. I was excited. Not only was I finally getting away from the chaos of Vancouver, I was able to do avoid the busy highway! The trail was formerly an old railway line and meanders through farmland, alongside beaches, and wetlands, down cute tree-lined lanes and through the outskits of Victoria’s suburbia. What luxury!

Victoria itself was originally home to several communities of First Nations peoples (including the Songhees) before the English and the Spanish came along. The english began using it as a Hudson Bay Company trading post in 1843, but once the gold rush started (1858) it became the main port of entry to colonies all over the island and british columbia. It became the provincial capital in 1871. It now has a regional population of 326,000 and given its moderate climate and scenic setting attracts hundreds of retirees and tourists alike each year.

May is possibly the best time to visit Victoria. Bright coloured tulips, dafodhils, roses and many more flowers are sprinkled all over the city. Maple trees are slowly uncurling new green leaves. Birds are chirping. People are out walking, cycling with big smiles on their faces. It has a bubbling energy that seems to have just sprung to life… so this is what spring is…

Thanks to the lovely Jenny (and Otesha connections!), I’ve been staying in a cute little apartment near Fernwood. There’s been lots of cozy chats and tea drinking, which has made me feel that home isn’t so far away. And with Jenny being in the middle of her teaching practicum (middle school), I’ve made an excellent guniea pig for various school activities and have learnt many things about the digestive system, life expectancy, the functioning of lungs and more!

next stop? Salt Spring Islands. Stay tuned!

(photo by Chris Davis)