Vancouver Pearls

Pics were taken on Wednesday morning as Peter and I got to enjoy Vancouver for a moment before heading back to Kelowna.

My tummy hurts! I was awakened at midnight with severe abdominal pain right under my ribs--the stomach. I turned on the lights (no one likes being in the dark and in pain) and waited it out. Today my stomach still hurts a little. Perhaps it was eating out most of the week in Van.
On to more interesting topics: a few pearls I gained from the Peace Summit. Most simply reaffirm ideas I was familiar with.
-One must have compassion for one's rival. Listen to their viewpoint because ultimately their problem is my problem.
--Government spends billions preparing for war and nothing preparing for peace.
--Learning how to create questions, illuminating possible problems, requires more creative energy than learning how to problem solve. Only problem solving is taught in school.
--From the Dalai Lama himself I learned that one must always be true to oneself--even on the hot seat.
--I observed that the Dalai Lama's celebrity threatens his message. But that he is the only mortal on earth seemingly able to dismiss his own celebrity and stay focused and in the moment of truth.
-Respect each living being for the beautiful life force within--even arch enemies are entitled to this basic respect of their life.
-Kind and compassionate service to others brings happiness.
-collaboration is not accepted in school--it is called cheating. Collaboration needs to be encouraged in school.
-Creativity requires many factors to be focused in a positive direction--the Blueman group listed 6 roles one must consider when being creative titled: hero, shaman, trickster, group member, scientist, outsider.

I am in a spiritual quandary at the moment. I believe the only way out of this is through meditation, physical exercise and a healthy diet. I feel disconnected, uninspired by the tasks that are presented to me at this moment. So much red tape, errands, dull mind work.
Vancouver trip was quick. We ate at "Julio and Me" a Mexican restaurant on Commercial Drive. It was tres delicious! I had chicken burritos and they shredded piles of pickled watermelon-radish on top--so good. Later I realized my friend Ritchie does the website and photography for that restaurant.
Bob Geldof stayed a the Fairmont at the same time as us as well as the African's Children's choir. The Dalai Lama stayed at the Pan-Pacific as it has a bullet proof floor for dignitaries.
Everyone seems to have a little bug in my family. We are all tired and uninspired and a little off in our tummies, heads or in Mist's case--ears.
Tonight my girls have piano and parent/teacher interviews at Tab's school.
Tomorrow early morning Bikram's and I work all day on my latest paper: the ethics of online research--yawn!
Saturday I have a class and Peter and Yianni will take the girls to Crock-Talk: a reptile learning centre (they don't know this yet)  M and I signed us all up before we realized that we cannot attend!
***Thanks to my Mom for doing a great job caring for my little girls. I arrived home to 3 happy gals and apple muffins!

Vancouver Peace Summit

Me, just as I left early this morning for the Peace Summit in Vancouver. You guessed it--no cameras in the Orpheum Theatre. Boo-hoo. Just a boring picture of me pre-summit.
I saw my two favorite monks in the world: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mattieu Ricard. Both were as charming and wonderful in person as I believed them to be.
I had the best seat! 3rd row, centre, Orchestra--I was 20 feet from the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama is so used to being a public figure that he appears to be relaxed on stage. He listens, (daydreams only a little tiny bit which is amazing--he is ready to answer any question posed to him), adjusts Mattieu Ricard's robe when it slips off his shoulder, rummages in his maroon satchel for various items he needs throughout the talk: cough candy for a fellow panelist, visor for the bright lights, tissue to mop his brow. He sits barefoot and cross-legged--charming, wise and true. One can't help but fall in love with him! And Mattieu Ricard--wise and eloquent--yes, in love with him too.
Eckhart Tolle spoke well, and Sir Ken Robinson and Murray Gell-Mann ( Nobel Prize physics 1969) and Mairead Maguire (Nobel Laureate 1976--N. Ireland relations).
I so envied Martha Piper (former UBC president) as she got to mediate one of the talks with the Dalai Lama (and sat right beside him).
Coming home from the summit it poured rain. My Fluvoggs were soaked! I got so chilled--I couldn't live in Vancouver in the fall and winter--the rain is too cold!
Rained too hard for me to attempt Robson Street shopping but went to Pacific Centre and picked up this and that for my girls.
Oh, and good news, Hotel Vancouver found a room for us tonight so we needn't switch to the Wall Center after all.  I am relaxing at the Fairmont as I type this. I'll be home tomorrow evening. XOXO--to all my little girls.

Fernando & Me

1.Stopping at Bear Creek for a dip today, after a long hot hike up the hill. A candid pose that turned out rather cool. I have no idea why my fingers were posed like that.

2.Me and my little guy.
3.The last pic is of me rescuing Fernando from the icy stream--the rock was too high for him to get onto.
It was a glorious hike on a beautiful, warm September day.
I worked this am and then decided we needed a family hike this afternoon. I may go to a movie tonight with Peter--that new Matt Damon one...
Peter's mom is in the hospital after suffering a series of minor strokes. We are wishing her a speedy recovery. Peter may be flying to S'toon to visit her on her Birthday which is Oct 2nd.
One more week and I am in the presence of my two favorite Buddhist Monks: the Dalai Lama and Mattieu Ricard. I will be staying at the Hotel Vancouver for one night and the Wall Centre for the second. A perfect mix of old and new. The Hotel Van having become like our home away from home each time we visit Van and It is really cool sleeping up in the Wall centre at night. We pull all the drapes and watch the lights of Vancouver through the floor to ceiling windows. Our Wall Center room has solid glass exterior walls--last time we stayed there we watched from high above the city as Bill Clinton's motor brigade made its way down the streets of Vancouver.                            

And so exciting for Mistaya: she is going to Vancouver with her school's Social Justice Club and attending a Peace Summit at the Dalai Lama Friendship Center for over 14,000 students from around BC. And to make it unbelievably wonderful, the Dalai Lama himself will be speaking to the kids! Mist and I will both be blessed with his presence on Tuesday.

Peace Summit, Vancouver 2009

Matthieu Ricard--he's also a photographer, scientist and writer.

The Dalai Lama

September 29th I am attending the Peace Summit in Vancouver. My favorite monks will be attending: the Dalai Lama and Matthieu Ricard. Eckhart Tolle and Sir Ken Robinson will also be speaking. I am looking forward to this event. I chose to attend the session on creativity and well being. I have read many of Matthieu's books and the Dalai Lama's too. A dream supper would be me, the Dalai Lama, Matthieu Richard. How to make it happen? Any ideas?

Tabs final year end piano recital last night--she was fab! No nerves--played flawlessly. I chalk it up to having two teeth filled earlier in the day--she used up all her nerves getting through that.

I miss Mist. Pip too. She cried in the car today, "I want Kiki, I need Kiki!" When I asked her why, she said, "I love her. I miss her."

So blue...I am in the eye of a cat storm. I can no longer have Silver live in our home. He is untrainable. I have tried everything, new litter boxes, new litter, new beds, even pet anti anxiety meds--all to no avail. He will not stop peeing on floors, carpets, beds and sofas.  What am I to do? I want a cat, I want him. But I cannot keep him because he is not trainable. He used to be. But over the years he has become completely untrained. I believe he is learning disabled as well. He has never been a typical cat. He is content to sit on my desk all day long, only leaving at night to eat and pee all over. It breaks my heart because I cannot keep him, yet I so wish he would "fix" himself and become normal so I can. :(

To an outsider my cat dilemma may seem trivial. However, we have had him for 6 years. I am an animal lover. I have never given away a pet. I never thought I would have to. It is weighing heavily on my mind and heart. I cannot have a pet jeopardize the health of my family. Constantly breathing in his cat pee fumes, cleaning up his cat pee--it requires hours of my labour that I will never get back--I want that time to play with my kids, not clean!

I had to euthanize my dearest, oldest frined ever last year--my pug Weldy. He was 15 1/2 years old and going downhill fast--but it was his incontinence that finally made me realize it was time. He had diarrhea all over the house constantly and my vet (Theresa) said it was very unhealthy to have that bacteria on my floors all of the time with a toddler.

What to do? I have called his breeder and am placing an add in my sister's vet clinic. 

Bad Dog

Pippi--Mistaya dressed her up all disco and put on the disco lights and dance music. 

I have a problem: FERNANDO. He bit Pip again. This time on her neck. She has three puncture wounds. He thinks she is another dog. She thinks she is another dog. Since we adopted him they do nothing but rough house. It has gone too far. I have tried dog whispering. I have tried everything. So, as a last resort, I am sending him back to my sister the vet. Theresa has volunteered to have him until he out grows some of his horrible puppy habits, i.e. thinking Pippi is another dog to snap at when the mood strikes.

On to some Zen Buddha Mama wisdom. The cook must always cook what she loves. If she cooks only what she loves, she will be inspired. This is from personal experience. I have just started following this advice. Tonight it is Japanese rice and slow cooked Indonesian Ginger chicken with broccoli on the side. 

The Dalai Lama is coming! Yippee-yahoo! He will be in Vancouver in September. I will be there. Also, an interesting talk about the Dalai Lama when I am in San Fransisco--The heart and Mind of the Dalai Lama. I might attend that as well. 

South Africa's loss is our gain. Their decision to ban him only freed him up to come to Canada. Desmond Tutu will be in Vancouver as well and Eckhart Tolle too--for a peace summit on "Educating the Heart."