See them bigger on instagrid.

Someone put foam in the fountain in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.


We went for brunch and walked around a bit in the rain. I took a Benedryl and it made me feel drugged. Sigh.

Fuji-San

This past Autumn Dan and I were fortunate enough to spend almost two months in Japan. Dan's been there about five times before and although I'd never visited before, I've carried out a long lasting love affair with it in my head. Going into anything with high expectations is always risky but Japan was even better than I'd imagined.

The people were, almost without exception, incredibly polite and the kindness and welcome we experienced from many of the people we met there was a humbling and wonderful lesson on how to make strangers feel at ease. The landscape was stunning, the cities vibrant and all consuming and the contrast between the fast-paced modernity of urban life with the incense infused temples and shrines were a living demonstration of beautiful contradiction.

Since arriving in Bangkok last night, we've been following the news of the horrific earthquake and tsunami and have been consumed with thoughts for the people we met there and the ones we didn't. There are really no words.

Update: People from the UK, Canada and USA can find some good links directing them to where they can donate to disaster relief in Japan here. 

Osaka

Kyoto

Kyoto

Geishas

Stunning Autumn Leaves

Bridge - Kyoto

Class Photo

Kyoto

Palace Grounds - Osaka

Feeding Wild Deer - Nara

All photos by me (except the one with the deer - that was taken by Dan).

I've been going through some older images that I never got around to posting online and have added a few new ones to my Japan Flickr Album. How can it already be three months since I left Japan?

This one is my favorites:


Look at all those happy tourists getting their photos taken in front of the Buddha!

And this next one is dedicated to all my Canadian friends and family who are currently in the dredges of -30 degree Celsius weather. By the end of February, it feels like you can't possibly make it through another week of hibernation. I remember it well. But spring is coming, and with it months of this kind of loveliness to look forward to:


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More pictures on Flickr.

I've posted more on Flickr, but these are the best ones.

They turned out a lot better than I was expecting. I really disliked Vietnam: the grey skies, the chaos on the street, the honking, the scammers ... The photos make it look much nicer than was my experience. It's strange how the memory of a place sometimes doesn't connect with the experience.

During the month of August we stayed at a friend's house in Vancouver while she went on her honeymoon. The sweet little house was surrounded by the most beautiful roses I've ever seen outside of a florist shop. They were tended to by the old eastern European couple next door, who regarded me as something peculiar for taking photos of the flowers one morning after a rain storm.

These remind me of what an easy, lovely month we had in Canada.

Tomorrow morning we fly out of Luang Prabang down to Vientiane where we will catch our flight to Hanoi. Walking around today I couldn't help but feel sad that we're leaving. It's so beautiful here and we've allowed ourselves to get completely caught up in it - it's been like having an extended vacation in what must be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

I have so much gratitude for the wonderful people here and feel so lucky to have had this time.











All photos by me.

I'm participating in Reverb10, a daily writing prompt throughout the month of December related to reflecting on the previous year and planning for the next. You can read more about why I'm doing it here. Or read all my Reverb posts here.

Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

I like this photo because I look happy in a caught off guard sort of way. There's no contrived smile or posing (apart from the Japanese peace sign thing they always do in photos) and I feel like it captures a moment of real happiness. And yes, of course I want to loose myself more and more in moments of unabashed smiling happiness!

Dan took the photo and I think we were at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan.

Last night we sat on a roof top bar and watched the sun set over the Mekong River. I suppose I have pollution to thank for it, but it was stunning.