En Route

Clowning Around

Clowns. They are sure to evoke some kind of emotion, right? Whether clowns make you recall the horror movie 'It' or something slightly more warm and fuzzy it is not often that we link clowns with healing and connecting people, communities and families. I sure didn't.

Until my friend traveled to Ecuador. To volunteer and attend an intensive clown workshop. A la Patch Adams. I assumed she was joking about becoming a professional clown and urged her to write a book instead (she could be a stand-up comedian, she is that witty).
Boy, was I ever wrong. And she is ever so brave. After looking up what exactly she was doing I was deeply touched and every time I think of her and her purple clown nose I cannot seem to get rid of that giant smile that spreads across my face.

There are a lot of Revolutionary Clowns out there working hard and volunteering with Patch Adams' Gesundheit! Global Outreach
I think they are da bomb.

Revolutionary clowns

Aquatic Art

Art. Add water. And a whole new world unfolds before your eyes...
Imagine floating in front of a painting or sculpture. Now imagine doing it upside down.
Perhaps a sponge has started growing on one of the edges or it has become a shelter for juvenile fish. Art that over time transforms and always grows. I love it.

An underwater museum to check out: The Underwater Museum of Cancun
One of my favorite sculptors: Jason de Caires Taylor 
An underwater art exhibit: Paintings

Hitting a New Low

The Dead Sea.
Approximately 8.6 times more salty than the ocean. And I had no clue that it was the lowest elevation point on earth, 423 meters below sea level (the things you learn when going on a road trip!). I was tempted to see if Cedric would float as well but gnomes are after all not known for their aquatic prowess.
Contemporary beauty products and spas boast about the healing qualities of the Dead Sea but folks have known about it forever. The ancient Egyptians used it for mummifying, Aristotle wrote a note about it and countless other civilizations floated around in it and used the minerals for a myriad of causes.

There's only one small problem. The Dead Sea is dying. It is shrinking, actually. Jordan has been involved with a project to rectify this but according to an article in the International Business Times it might not be the miracle cure that will heal the Dead Sea.

I chatted with a commercial diver who was hired to do a job in the Dead Sea. I asked the obvious question of how much weight he had to bring in order to be able to sink and his reply made me envision a diver looking like the Michelin Man but instead covered head to toe in weight-belts. Bulky for sure. But that was not his biggest annoyance. The high salt content erodes dive gear like crazy (no wonder that there were no boats to be seen bobbing about! Duh.)
And apparently the worst part about diving in the Dead Sea? When your mask leaks during the job...

Cedric vs. Nabateans

Cedric the Gnomad has been on the road again and was literally dwarfed by the ancient city of Petra.

Over 2300 years old this enormous city is breathtakingly beautiful, listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world and I can now fully understand why... Together with my sweet mother (it was so good to see her again!) and a family friend we walked around for hours and still did not get to see all of it. Imagine, only 15 percent of it has been excavated and that more is yet to be discovered... All of us were in awe by the sheer magnitude of this historical site and I wish I could go back and spend a couple more days wondering around and seeing more of it.
I am embarrassed to say that I'd never heard about the Nabateans (yep, even after taking several archaeology courses in university) before I came to Jordan, and let me tell you that as stone masons/carvers they kicked ass big time. It is HUGE. Carved out of the stone cliffs. It is so, so beautiful...

Here is a link about Petra. It even mentions Harrison Ford. And Sean Connery. And Indiana Jones.

Hey Mr. Postman

I am all for hand-written letters. I grew up in the tropical boonies and when I left my parents at an early age it was drilled into me: WRITE.
I did.

My father has the most beautiful handwriting ever. I have tried in vain to copy his handwriting style and for a long time I have wished for certain chosen words in his writing to become transfixed as permanent ink on my skin. His writing is overly unique & elegant and one day it will grace one of my forearms as a tattoo.

When I was a teenager the parental unit bought me a Parker fountain pen that my classmates during high school loved to borrow: It was so well-seasoned that it was like butter in your hands when writing. I vividly remember going to the local stationary store and buying the ink cartilages and ultimately my devastation when the housing of my trusted writing device broke. Seventeen years later I still have it in my possession and for over a decade I've wanted to replace the broken bits.

Over time my diligent letter writing went downhill. Correspondence became sporadic and email replaced delicate stationary and indigo ink. In 2012 I decided to start afresh and picked up the pen again. Postcards and letters filled with love were sent from Egypt, N-Ireland, Holland, Mexico, Aruba and now Jordan.

Every month the main head office brought me handwritten letters from my friends and family. I would jump up and down with excitement, run to the nearest hammock and immerse myself in the words on the pages. It provided an almost physical link to my loved ones and (I'll admit it!) I smelled the pages and held the envelopes close to my heart.

The Mexican and Aruban mail were notoriously unreliable and some letters were either months delayed or took a detour; others never made it. Jordanian post is smooth in comparison. Try it and write to me.
I will send you one back and when you close your eyes and hold the envelope close it will hopefully put a smile on your face.

Red Roaster

Coffee beans. Add Veronica. Perfect blend.

The lovely Ms. Vee has recently become the proud owner of Red Roaster Coffee, a micro roaster company that has its roots on Gabriola Island, BC. If you like your cup of java to be fresh, organic, fair-trade and ethically sourced you've got yourself some magic beans here! Next to that Red Roaster delivers the freshly roasted goods to your doorstep and donates to local organizations such as People for a Healthy Community (PHC). It is a win-win situation plus you will be supporting a local business run by a talented young entrepreneur with a heart of gold.
Go to the website to get your caffeine buzz details

Shakespearian Dissidence

When I was seventeen & lived in Holland I wrote the final thesis for my history course on the dissuasion of fictional characterizations regarding Queen Elizabeth I. It was a choice mostly propelled by the different accounts of Elizabeth's character in history books, novels and films. I am still drawn to the myth surrounding this woman, the turbulent and hazy political atmosphere during the time of her reign and how history was recorded and none the least, by whom.
Recently I watched the film 'Anonymous'. It was splendid and I thoroughly enjoyed it, mostly for breathing life into one of the facets that make me enjoy historical interpretations even more - Where do facts end and fiction begin?

During Elizabeth's rule a certain playwright flourished and became a legendary figurehead of literature:
Shakespeare.
His plays (and play on) words, poetic lamentations and iambic pentameter used to make me cringe when I was a teenager in high school. Now I can spend an evening with Othello, a few candles and a heap of mature cheese and red wine (we all have our vices)

After watching 'Anonymous' I had to write this post. There is this young woman who I have been keeping track of for a while. The energetic prose that she infuses some of her performances with is a style of contemporary Shakespearean bardolatry.
Her name is Kate Tempest and she knows how to bring it, slicing into your soul while you hang on her every word. Find out more about Kate here. Or watch the video that got me hooked and riddled with goosebumps.
Perhaps this is what audiences experienced whilst watching Shakespeare's plays in his time. A certain enthrallment, when words move you to the point where you become speechless.

Giant Napoleon (Cheilinus undulatus)

A couple of days ago I took two Scandinavian divers out for a dip on Rainbow Reef where we found ourselves in unusual company. The three of us were surrounded by a huge school of gorgeous fusiliers when suddenly out of nowhere a 2 meter Napoleon wrasse and his Significant (and much smaller) Other appeared. They decided that we were a welcome distraction and kept coming back for another curious look. Napoleon or Humphead wrasse have large expressive eyes that are akin to googly eyes, and we were certainly being ogled tons! (not as a potential snack, mind you)
It was the first Napoleon I've come across here in Jordan and his massive size was impressive. His girlfriend was a bit more coy but she warmed up and after spending minutes gazing into each other's eyes we parted ways. Aquatic encounters such as these bring a big smile to my face...

Snow in the Desert

As soon as it snows I am one of the first to run outside and jump around in it like a lunatic new-born lamb. I am known for starting epic snowball ambushes, making impromptu snow angels & you can always count me in for a midnight tobogganing session with my pals.
Snow sculptures are awesome too. One year I made a roasted pig out of snow, complete with an apple stuffed in its mouth which was neatly plucked out by deer every night (I lived in an orchard then so the stolen apples were easily replaced).

But snow in the desert? Yep. It is pretty crazy. January brought the white stuff to the Middle East and even the ancient city of Petra got dusted. Roads were closed off and many Jordanians were having a lot of fun sledding around.
The unusual weather has also created serious problems. Most affected are the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. Snow, rain, and wind have battered the refugee camps and in Zaatari tents were flooded and people were evacuated. The situation is worsening. I've been told that many Syrians need to 'pay' to get their families safely across the border. These people, who are running for their lives, leaving all they have behind in a desperate attempt to escape the war that is raging in their home country are being bribed by Syrian custom officials... An amount that most can't afford to pay (Read more about it here)

For an article and video about the Zaatari refugee encampment in Jordan click here.


 

Great News

Ever wonder why you feel depressed after watching the evening news? Do you feel as if wherever you turn there seems to be more violence and disasters happening worldwide? You are not the only one.

Situated in a relatively peaceful & stable place in the turbulent Middle East we are surrounded by neighboring countries where conflict rages: Reports filter in of locals who have family members in Syria that are killed by snipers, their houses destroyed and people fleeing their lands...

I am not sure how accurate this study is but according to an article published by Morocco World News "Arab nations are the most affected by melancholy" (stats provided by the World Health Organization).
It is a depressing report.

So today at work I decided to go on an online hunt for Great News. News that would lift spirits and make folks here smile. Click the picture below to find out where we ventured...

And if that did not rock your boat I have a back up plan to put a spring in your step...

Click on these babies:

Great News Network 

Daily Good News

Capsicum annuum

Red sweet bell peppers are obviously one of the best things EVER. Their scent, crunchy texture and sweet taste makes my mouth water even thinking about them (Actually I have just finished one off for breakfast).
I can eat them everyday, anytime, anywhere as long as they are not consecrated in a cooking pan - I like them raw. Growing them is a pure act of patience: Watching unripened peppers slowly turn color takes a long time when all you can think of is stuffing your face with one.
Whilst living in the Mexican outback I could only get green peppers which are of course contemptible compared to the vibrant ripe red ones. Imagine my joy when I arrived in Jordan and was suddenly surrounded by them. Add some jarjeer (arugula) that grows on little vegetable plots all across the city and is sold straight from the wheelbarrows behind the mosque and you have yourself a union made in heaven.

Interesting fact: Christopher Colombus was the muppet whom mistakenly gave this fruit (yep it IS a fruit) its name, wrongly associating it with peppercorns.

Perspective

Jason Isley is an underwater macro-photographer who has created a whole new series with a humorous twist. Check it out! (Click here for the entire scoop on the story)

Ink

I love tattoos. Big time. Always a few ideas are tucked in the back of my mind for the next inking but when I came across the work of this gentleman I realized that I will have to fly my ass to Tahiti because tattoo artist Manu Farrarons' designs have left me in awe with the raw beauty & delicate elegance that they exude. His work is a contemporary echo and tribute to traditional Polynesian style

Flash Floods

One would never think that in a country associated with drought (landmass consisting 92 percent out of desert) that the streets would become a highway for ducks. I was told that before I arrived here in Jordan there was a flood that cornered my colleagues in the apartment and their escape route included the classical move of tying drapes and hanging them off the balcony.
Aqaba is surrounded by desert mountains and when the floodgates open up rivers of rainwater carve their way down to the Red Sea. So far I have not had the opportunity to canoe to work but the pictures below show that it will be a better option than driving when the tide comes.

Dirty Old Church

Everyday on my way to work I walk past the littered ruins of the oldest on-purpose built church in the world.
It might not be an impressive archaeological site to view but it tickles my pickle that these ancient abandoned remnants are in the midst of the city with nobody even sparing a glance when they stride by. Once in a while I see visitors arriving, looking bewildered as if they are thinking 'This is it?'

My father came for a visit and together we went to the Mamluk Fort and museum. We both are quintessential sight-seers and love history so we hit up the museum first where I was pleasantly surprised by finding out that the archaeology department of the University of Victoria aided in the excavations around Aqaba. Afterwards we found ourselves all alone in the fort with our guide, got to peek in the execution chamber and admired the old palm trunks that were embedded in the walls for reinforcements.

Aqaba the Town

It is a strange town. Camels in full regalia stroll the sidewalks with their mounted owners yelling 'Taxi!' to tourists whilst the real cabs honk at every foreigner on the street and try to avoid hitting the skinny Berber horses pulling the gaudy carriages (some with loud sound systems installed on the back of the buggy). At the promenade a giant Jordanian flag (162 m high) can be seen from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The town of Eilat lies across the bay and I watched the fireworks at New Year's Eve happening there from an English pub here in Aqaba - It is that closely situated.
Liquor stores everywhere and giant Hummers pull up in front of them with Saudi men piling out and returning with plastic bags full of alcohol (fully understandable, those poor guys are a bit dry 30 miles south from here).

Snow and rain has plagued the northern locals and they tend to flock to Aqaba on the weekends, their only seaport city. Since it is a tax-free zone it is also the place for them to shop and many return back to Amman clutching cheap Chinese duvets with kitsch designs. I myself have inherited a worn blanket with Walt Disney's Aladdin decorating my bed, which goes remarkably well with my flannel Smurfs blanket that I brought with me from home.

Aqaba is known for...Bottles filled with sand (I know, it reminds me too of that period where housewives got crafty and thought it was a hip thing to do).
But let's face it, this is a desert country with sand in abundance so it only makes sense to sell it to the tourists. And it is a fun thing to watch, these men carefully filling bottles.

Cedar Pride

Every other dive I take clients to a shipwreck named 'Cedar Pride'. This 74 meter long wreck lies on her side with the deepest point around 25 meters. Formerly used as a Lebanese freighter she caught on fire and after a few years was purposely sunk in 1985 for recreational diving. Jordanian king Abdallah is an avid diver and played a major role in the whole sinking production.
She has been down there for almost thirty years now and is slowly but surely collecting a variety of marine life. Lush soft, hard and black corals are attached to her hull, deck and around the crow's nest. Guilded Pipefish, Nudibranchs, schools of fish, you name it and it has found a spot on the Cedar Pride. Imagine what she will look like in 50 years...

Curiosity Cabinet

Once upon a time I had a letterbak, a device that stems back to times as an organizational storage that every press business used to keep their individual letters & symbols in for pamphlet and paper printing. The Dutch tend to hang it on the wall and collect miniature ornaments to decorate it with. As a child I was of course completely taken in by collecting tiny treasures to fill every nook and cranny of my letter box...
I've often had this re-occurring urge again, but instead of collecting cute nicknacks I wish to create frozen moments of ideas and thoughts, welded together through the medium that instantly divides them simultaneously.

Unusual Aquatic Objects

In November 2012 I arrived for work in Aqaba, Jordan. My immersion in the Red Sea proved to be interesting due to the endemic species of coral and fish, some I have never encountered before.
Other unusual aspects included a M42 Duster Anti-Aircraft Vehicle (The Tank)

The tank itself was a bizarre sight underwater for the first time but after a few visits it has become more of a minor attraction underwater. It was sunk in 1999 by JREDS and functions as a spot for safety stops after visiting the Seven Sisters dive site.

Other daily aquatic encounters include a whole lotta trash. Human garbage ending up in our seas is a worldwide phenomenon and I am grateful and happy to participate with the current dive center that I am working with whom does regular clean up dives in accordance with the Dive Against Debris  movement.
 ...But then I see people litter the beach and streets, and I wonder... Perhaps preventative measures, such as local education, policies and compassion & care for the environment would be a more effective approach...

En Route

Mario Cravo Neto

I cannot believe it has been over three years since my all-time favorite photographer has ceased contributing his images to this world. Mario Cravo Neto's passion for detail, light and texture within the photography field remains unsurpassed and to this day no other has caught my eye in a similar fashion. Simply amazing.

If you wish to venture out on a limb and see what else he has in store please visit his website

Fermented Gnome

In 2009 Cedric came along on a canoeing & camping trip. On the way back a pit stop was made in Tofino, with wine and hot surfer chicks.

Them Bones

I have a little obsession. In fact, it is stored neatly in rough totes in several friends' basements. At first it might appear a bit strange but my fascination with bones has nothing to do with the dark and sinister. I am just completely enamored with their structure, the texture and their perfect shape. From skulls to vertebrae, I have been collecting them for the last ten years.
Fellow Islanders call me to inform me about an otter or deer carcass that they've come across on their walks and armed with tools, bags and buckets I will be elbow-deep in seal blubber to extract a fan-shaped shoulder blade.
I know, it seems gross but is not as bad as it sounds.
Treating the bones and ensuring that they remain intact is an entire process that I enjoy and the end result is satisfying. I love bare bones; at times they become a blank canvas that allow for a new form to take a hold: Mixed media replaces what was once covered by flesh.

Green Thumbing It

For years I have carried this sign from place to place and thunked it down in every garden that I've grown. To this day I have no notion of where it came from or its original purpose but I do know that it has enhanced the 'Bon Vista' of my vegetable patches and flower jungles.
I adore travelling, exploring foreign places and meeting new folks but honestly, nothing beats walking into the garden and harvesting homegrown veggies & fresh fruits. Yum.

Glass Art

Tammy Hudgeon is an artist who lights up the world - literally.
Her fused glass art scatters brightly-colored reflections into people's lives and the artist herself seems to possess a inner light as well which she infuses with spontaneity and joy into everyday life, her work and community. Tammy Hudgeon's love for art is contagious and every piece of her work that I own is cherished deeply. Her stomping grounds and studio are located on Gabriola Island BC but Hudgeon is world-renowned for her high quality art, which also includes mixed media. Find out more by visiting her website and blog

Cob Oven Pizza

I made my annual pilgrimage over to Mudge Island (5 minutes by motorboat) and for the past couple of times I have crossed the waters of False Narrows clutching bags full of pizza ingredients.
You see, my good friend built a cob oven. On a trailer. (Have pizza oven, will travel)

A gathering of lovely folks ate delicious pizza and partied with our beloved Mudgekin friends. How fortunate we are with where we live. Island life at its finest.

Oh Deer, it is Haloween

The girls carved some awesome pumpkins for Haloween. Eagerness settled in and they were placed nicely lit on the picknick table overnight. Waking up the next morning we saw that a few bits here and there were missing... With no clue whom committed the mischievous deed Eva and Sadie left to catch the bus to school and soon Sonia drove off to work.
Whilst I was fixing a nice cup of java I looked out the window and...Bingo! Grabbing the closest assault weapon (a wooden spoon) I ran out the door and threw it at the him, barely hitting his shoulder.
He took a look at me and took another bite.

Home Sweet Home

Home is where the heart is...Finally being reunited with my community was the biggest highlight of 2012.
My amazing fellow Islanders flew me back home after a year of separation, an enormous gift that made my heart glow with gratefulness. For the entire time I got to hold them close and feel that sense of belonging, where everything feels right, settle back into my chest. It was painful to leave them behind again.

Below is a picture of Descanso Bay where in the summer we gather on the sandstone rocks, dive into the clear ocean and watch the sunset together.

One Happy Island

I remember diving together with my father when we visited Aruba over fifteen years ago. Since then I have been back once but it had been a long, long time.
I flew out of Cancun and stayed over a month here alone in my family's summer home, which is not far away from the Hooiberg (Hay Stack). This volcanic formation is about 165 meters high and out of sheer boredom I climbed to the top one day. The panoramic view was lovely and I realized that my camera was...At home. Damn.

En Route