The State of the Nation at 30

(Better late than never! I blame the birthday festivities and liquids for the lateness of this post!)

As I have just turned 30, I feel it is time to sit down and take stock of my life and where I am. A sort of "state of the nation" to consolidate where I've been and where I am going. The State of the Peter, if you will...

What better place to host such an indulgence is there than on this blog. Read it if you want, or skim through all the pictures. It allows me to put it all 'on paper' before jumping into my third decade. So, without further ado, let's begin...

Where I've been.

Vancouver:

I have had a privileged life growing up in Vancouver with loving parents and sister. I am what they, and my extended family, have made me. I am also shaped by my friends - from school, university, work - here and abroad. I owe these people everything!

After becoming obsessed with dinosaurs at the age of five, I pursued a career in palaeontology by taking classes in geology and biology at the University of British Columbia. Before graduating with a Geology degree, I realized that a life in science - researching and publishing - was not for me. So with the completion of my science degree and much soul (and career) searching, I decided to become a teacher - elementary and high school.

One year later, I was a qualified teacher and began teaching as a substitute teacher in North Van....

. . .

Hmm..... This is beginning to sound like a job interview. Boo!
Ok, so let's change this up a bit:


In the past 10 years, I have become:

• a teacher, primary and high school teacher in North Vancouver. Taught all grades, but spent 3 months as a High School Geology teacher.
  


• a geologist, qualified but never really practiced. Worked at several museums, including the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
  


• a world traveler, been to over 20 countries. Climbed an active volcano (Mt. Etna, Italy), got dirty at La Tomatina and the Mud Festival (Spain and Korea, respectively), been drunk with people from 50 nationalities, hiked through old-growth forest (the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, among others), camped under the stars (many times, but in teepees in the Alberta Badlands), swam in 6 oceans/seas (Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, Yellow Sea, East China Sea), found a mummified cat in Greece (gross!), drove around a country (France), didn't run with the bulls (that's only for crazy people! In Pamplona, Spain), experienced Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany), flew a lot (sorry Earth), ate some crazy food (live octopus in Korea, among others!), walked inside a meteor crater (Arizona), and crept through skull-filled catacombs (Paris).
  


• a film maker, Besides shorter travel videos, I wrote and directed two films - Bluebell Woods and its prequel, Tony's Empire. I also co-created a few other projects under the production company Prehistoric Insanity Productions - The Hardcore Apocalypse after Next Tuesday, Action Figure High, and the upcoming Delta Patrol!
  


• a tour guide, worked at the Vancouver Lookout and the Royal Tyrrell Museum doing my best to showcase their wonders...
  


• an artist, I love painting and drawing, and I'm slowly delving into digital manipulation of images. Created posters and other artwork for local theater productions and a mural for local museums. I also love making music and doing photography.
  

I love how self-indulgent this post has become. I feel great! Happy Birthday, Pete!

I have also pretended to be a:

• a palaeontologist, studying and creating art about the subject in my spare time, working at various museums, digging in Alberta!
  


• a film actor, worked as an extra in movies and TV - X-Men 3, I.Robot, Catwoman, 88 Minutes, Butterfly on a Wheel, Smallville, Tru Calling, Dead Zone, Killer Instinct...

• a talent agent, this is the role I play in the fictional blog Traumador: The Tyrannosaur Chronicles.
  

• travel writer, this blog!
  

Where I am now.

• I am currently teaching English to adults in Seoul, Korea. I am very happy here, but I also miss Vancouver and teaching children.
  

Where I am going.

• My contract with my Korean company (YBM) ends at the end of November, and I don't plan to re-sign. This is not because I don't like Korea or I hate the job - no! - In fact, I am having a ball, I just miss Vancouver and look forward to living there again.


• So after November, I'll be off to Thailand for almost three weeks with Steve and then I'll head home, arriving just before Christmas.


• My job with the North Vancouver School System is still waiting for me, so once I get back, I'll start subbing again with them. (You have to LOVE the NVSD for keeping my job - What other job lets you come back after two years traveling?)


• Finding a place to live will be more difficult. I am thinking about lower Lonsdale, but the prices down there are crazy! This will require a thorough search. Living alone or with roommates? Alone is preferred, but I may not be able to afford it - especially in North Van.

• The only other major set plan I have for the future is visiting England next summer. Another cousin is getting married and I will actually be able to go to this one (No Korean Contract! Teacher summers off! Yeah!) I also have many friends in the UK I need to catch up with...

• In the next 10 years, I want to:
• write, illustrate and publish kids books
• make another movie.
• get married and have children
• go shark cage diving (must be a Great White Shark)

Ahhh. Aren't lists great?!! They save the hassle of prose!

The future of this blog is secure - it is a great way to throw my thoughts and photos out there! I am sometimes tempted (by surfing though all the linked blogs I read!) to alter Bond's Blog into something it isn't. It could become a specifically Palaeo-Blog or a Travel-Blog or an Art-Blog or a Teaching-Blog or a Film-making-Blog. But that's not the point of this blog. It is a way of sharing what I think is cool. And, at 30, I still think these things - palaeo/travel/art/teaching/films - are cool!

It is a blog about me, Bond. Bond's Blog.

The State of the blog is good...
And the State of Peter is good too.

Thank you for listening to this completely indulgent rant. Have a piece of cake and a goody bag!

Random Park in Seoul - a photographic study

As some of you out there in the Blogosphere might guess, I like to consider myself a photographer.

My love for photography comes from both my Grandfathers. Peter, my Dad's father (whom I am named after), took photo of his travels while fighting in World War II. I have recently viewed his old photo albums while in England, and it was surprising how many similar countries we have both visited and photographed...

Photography was much more of a force for my Mother's father, Henry. He was a photographer by profession, and used to take amazing photographs. I remember the walls of his house covered with framed photos of political rallies, models, and family portraits. He was never without his camera, and loved to capture crowd scenes. We have a suitcase full of his slides chronicling the History of Vancouver that, someday, I want to showcase...

I am product of their enthusiasm and passion.

Please consider this selection of my photographs from a Random Park in Seoul:
(Click on each photograph to enlarge it.)

The Photographer...

...and The Photograph!

London, yeah!

I am currently in the Montreal Airport on the way home, waiting for my plane. Thank you Montreal for having free wireless. Apologies for being behind in the posts, but I figured I'd better live the adventure and blog about it in the gaps between. I hope you agree.

Last I left off, Greg and I had just arrived in London - city of history and expense. We were wonderfully able to stay with my Aunt and Uncle (thank you!) in London, allowing us to exist in the expensive big city world.

London was a "coming home" of sorts for me - having lived there (England) for the past year. Goodbye euros and hello pounds! London was the last stop for Greg who had never been to England before. My only regret was that I didn't see my cousin Nicky (and Rav) and my newborn niece Mia in those four days. Next time...

We began by diving right into the Thames. We walked the entire length of the river from Westminster Abby, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben to Tower Bridge and back. South and North sides. It was a wonderfully exhausting walk that gave us great views of St. Paul's Cathedral, Tate Modern, London Tower, Shakespeare's Theater and the London Eye (which is so expensive, you had to sell your soul for the high view. We opted to keep our soul and steal a view from the top of the Tate Modern - for free!)

What tour of London isn't complete without a trip to one of my fav places on Earth - the Natural History Museum. Greg was impressed by the dinosaur skeletons and I was impressed by the lack of crushing crowds. Everyone wins! The robotic T-Rex was exceptionally good this time round. Scaring kids...hehe...

After introducing Greg to the 'Pub Life' in England ("Can anyone murder a Guinness?"), we explored Leicester Square and picked up half-price tickets to two "Broadway" shows: Avenue Q and Spamalot. Both beyond spectacular and a very nice change from the norm Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.

Avenue Q is a small show about life in on a run-down street on the edges of New York, where 20 and 30-somethings search for their purpose while dealing with adult situations. Also, most of the characters are puppets. Imagine Sesame Street all grown up and having lost all it's money. Princeton (puppet) moves into a tenement run by Gary Coleman, falls in love (and other stuff) with Kate Monster (puppet), and lives with other puppets and humans. Trekkie Monster (Cookie Monster without ANY morals) stole the show. Left humming the songs. Highly hilarious!

The next night, we had back row of the top top back balcony nosebleed seats for Monty Python's Spamalot. With the last tickets available, we entered the theater only to be told to talk to this woman. Confused, we go and see her. We are then suddenly upgraded to floor seats with fantastic views! A few minutes later, the curtain rises and the laughs never stop. In fact, I'd have to say that Spamalot (The Search for the Holy Grail movie put to musical) was one of the funniest things I had ever seen, ever. If it comes to Vancouver, SEE IT. Your muscle spasmed face and sore sides will thank you!

And we had one more treat for us before we left. Cousin Dave had alerted me to a special film opening we all attended our last night in London. Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino's new film, was premiere-ing at the theater Dave works at - The Ritzy in Brixton. Not only would we see the film, but Tarantino himself (master of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill) was there for a question period! One of my film mentors passed me going into the cinema, looked at me and said, "Hey there!"

The film was actually better than I expected (sexy girls getting stalked and killed by Kurt Russel and his killer car) and Tarantino was great. He did not fail to show off his arrogance, child-like giggles and general happy director guy. Very cool!

Goodbye to Greg...
And on to New York for me!

Madrid to Lisbon

Hello Everyone,
I am currently in Lisbon, looking for a place to sit down and munch on some bread and peanut butter and apples with Greg. In other words, I have left Birmingham and England for Europe - specifically Spain and Portugal.

I spent a lovely two days with my family in London (saw an amazing art show with a white room of smoke ou walked through, bumping into others!) and then caught the Easyjet flight to Madrid.

Took the wonderfully clean metro to the city center where my hostal was - Grand Via: Home of the Prostitutes. Truely the Red Light District of Madrid, the hostal (Metropolo-a good hostal) was surrounded night and day by many many prostitutes working theyre stuff. Avoiding them, I managed to see three fanastic art galleries, including the famous Prado.

I left Madrid and took the night train to Lisbon. Arrived inthe morning and met Greg at our hostal - quite the compound across the water from the city center - Algrave. Beautiful here.

I´ll write more as I go, but here is a slice!

100th Post!

This is the 100th Post on Bond's Blog! Time to celebrate!

And the timing couldn't be more appropriate:

• Today is my birthday!
• I am finishing my time here in England, and moving on!
• And it's the one year anniversary of my blog!

Truly perfect!

I can't believe it has been one year since I've started blogging (August 2006!) What a ride it's been! I wrote in my first ever post, Blog the First: " ...my plan is to document my travels in this blog for the next year (in an attempt to reduce the number of mass emails!)"

And I have been. I thought it appropriate to celebrate the 100th Post by listing the top 10 things I will miss about England, specifically Birmingham. I leave the city for good on August 14th - one week from now - and I want to chronicle what I've enjoyed here, as much for my own benefit as yours!

(I know, two list posts in a row. I blame Mitch for it! Yell at him!)

- 10 Things I Will Miss About Birmingham -

1. Harborne: The town I live in! 9 pubs, 8 charity shops, 7 restaurants, 6 banks, 3 supermarkets, 2 bookstores (one called Bond's Books - one reason I wanted to live here!), 2 chip shops, the Subway, the Blockbuster, the Home Bargains, the Art Store, the park, and the community center. The Harborne Carnival brings everyone together once a year. Feels good here!
   
2. Architecture: Birmingham is trying so hard. Amongst the run down dirty parts of the city, there are wonderful buildings and amazing architecture that I will miss looking at: the bulbous Selfridges building covered with thousands of mirrored disks, the stone Art Gallery and Victoria Square with the beautiful fountain and steps, the tall thin alien BT Tower, the many red brick houses, and the new modern style of Centenary Square and Brindley Place with it's open spaces, statues, and canals!
   
3. A Cup'a Tea: After being in England a year, I appreciate the taste of a good cup of tea! One teabag, into hot water, very short steep time, squash the teabag with the spoon, one sugar, dash of milk, stir....and sip. Mmmmm...
   
4. Pub Culture: More than just a place to drink, the pub is a meeting place, a landmark, a comfort zone, a restaurant, a games room, a Quiz Night, and the place to take a date! British life revolves around the local pub (mine is the Varsity - 22 seconds from my door to the pub, sober. And 5-20 minutes after a couple - usually due to a stop for a kebab 'n' chips or a Subway! Mmmm...)
   
5. Proximity to Europe: The bounty of Europe is just a short flight across the channel! And it is so easy and cheap to get there; EasyJet and RyanAir. Anywhere you want - France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece... so simple!
   
6. The Pound: I will miss earning money in pounds. I love looking at my bank balance and converting it into Canadian dollars in my head! It makes me giggle with delight! Although, the downside is that I have to rent a movie for 4 quid (= $ 9.50 !!!!)
   
7. The Safety of the Streets: Broad St in particular, where the nightlife is. Police, CCTV cameras, and well lit areas abound in this city which used to have a reputation as being dirty and dangerous. Now, it parts of it are clean and very safe. On more than one occasion, I have walked home late at night always feeling very safe!
   
8. My House: 13 Albany Road - the site of many parties, dinners, movie and game nights, TV viewings (Hollyoaks and Big Brother..), arguments, sleep-ins, painting times, quiets moments, days off, no heat, film scenes, barbecues, ant infestations, lunar eclipses, accidents, police talks, and late nights! A three-legged cat we call 'Stubs' or 'Stubby' visits us frequently! I'll miss my big room and it's wooden floors, high ceilings, and sink.
   
9. Family so close: It has been spectacular having so much of my family so close in England! On my Mom's side - Dave, Naomi, and Gloria, and on my Dad's side - my Granny, Nigel and Joyce, Tim and Meena, Elaine and Richard, Sarah and Abby, Yasmeen, Escandar, Rocheen, Angie and John, Lara and James, Nicky, Rav and baby Mia! I also consider my good friends Marianne, Duncan, and Nathalie family too! I will miss them all!
   
10. Friends: So many new friends! I'll miss mostly my housemates - Roger, Leon, Lee, Emily, and Andy. I'll also miss Lewis, Zoe, Karl, Catherine, Lisa, Ian, Teresa, Hassen, Renata, Katerina, Kate, Sophie, Debbie, Cate, Mary, Tina, Nicky, Claire, Michelle, Faye, and Sarah. I've made some fantastic friends who will stay with me my whole life, for which I am very happy!

So there we go: the top 10 things I will miss about Birmingham. But what next? The Traveler moves on...

• August 16 - fly to Madrid, then meet Greg in Lisbon
• August 19 to September 5 - travel around Portugal and Spain, taking in Lagos, Seville, Valencia, Ibiza, and Barcelona, including La Tomatina (tomato fight festival!)
• September 5 to 10 - show Greg around London (might visit Birmingham one last time)
• September 10 to 15 - spend a week in New York City, before flying home!
• Later - Move to South Korea for a year to teach English with my friend Steve!

Whew, a full packed summer! Only a week left in England and I have to spend most of it packing and cleaning my house.

That finishes my 100th post! Wish me luck on my travels and on another exciting year of blogging!

York Horse Races

This weekend, I traveled to the old Viking/Roman town of York to visit my cousin Lara and her boyfriend James. It was a wonderful weekend hanging out with them and James' parents and brother and girlfriend. Highlights included a huge curry (where we guessed the amount of food needed dead on!) and a huge tapas lunch in a Spanish Restaurant in the town center (to get me ready for my visit to Spain: T-17 days and counting!!!)

But the real treat was going to the annual York Horse Races, where we all participated in a spot of horse betting! The following photos will illustrate how posh the afternoon was - men in suits and ties, women in dresses and big hats. BIG HATS! The hilarity of the attire was brought out with the weather, which was sunny but windy! All the hats and dresses sailed off and billowed like yachts in a gale.

At 2 pounds a bet, it wasn't an expensive affair. As a newbie to horse betting, I needed to know how to choose the winning horse. We scrutinized the horses in the parade ring (looking for that 'fast look' and a heart-shaped bum, apparently), we studied the jockeys as they mounted their beast (jockeys are short!), and we compared statistics of past races and horse performance.

In the end, I just picked the horse with the name I liked best.

First Race: my money was on Nevada Desert... and it won! 10 pounds!

Second Race: I looked for a natural sounding name - Gull Wing... and it won!! 10 pounds!

Third Race: No way will I win again. I choose another nature/flying named horse - Wing Collar... and it won!!! Amazing! Another 10 pounds!!

I was on a roll of a lifetime! Up 30 quid, there was no stopping me!

Fourth Race: Continue the trend - Eagle Mountain... and it wo... lost. In fact, I think it came last.

Fifth Race : Lost. Sixth: Lost. Seventh and Eighth: Lost as well...

Oh well, my three win winning streak still rocked (3/8), and I took home 20 pounds! James probably had the worst luck, were one of his horses stayed in the starting gate, not to race at all. The horses must wonder why they are being made to run... perhaps James' horse had an epiphany and took a stand. Or perhaps it's just a bad racehorse.

Click on any photo to enlarge it!

Bond Family Reunion '07

This weekend I attended a family reunion in Henley-on-Thames, at my Grandmother and Uncle's houses! Cousins, aunts, uncles, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, sisters, and brothers all flooded into Nigel's house and ate Joyce's amazing food.

Here are a few photos of the Bond Reunion Event '07:

John, Granny, and Angie

Lara running from the coming rain storm!

Nigel's Girls: Lara, Angie, and a pregnant Nicky!

Yasmeen, Tim, and Dad

Meena, Angie, Rocheen, and Lara

Joyce, James, Meena, Lara, Rocheen, and John

The Bond Brothers: Dad, Nigel, and Tim

The Bond Cousins: Yasmeen, Nicky, Angie, Me, Rocheen, Lara
(missing are Lisa and Escandar)

The New Parents: Nicky, Rav, and Baby!

Funniest Picture Award: James through binoculars!

Two Weeks in Vancouver - Part 1

Well, I am suffering from Jet Lag.

Yup, it is 5:30am Monday morning and I've been awake since 3am. My internal clock is so backwards right now, I'll be snoozing by lunchtime. And since I go back to work today, I'll be slugging back the tea - milk and 3 sugars!

North Vancouver

What a trip it was...! While I wasn't able to catch-up with everyone I wanted to, I did manage to see most of my friends and family, along with some old friends from high school and university! The main reason I returned back to my hometown of Vancouver is that my cousin was getting married. Other events such as my sister's digital graphic design grad show and meeting my friends new baby punctuated the trip.

Downtown Vancouver

I also got into a car accident, stood on top of the Province/Vancouver Sun building, and got a tattoo.

Yup, I'm a rebel.

Tattoo:
I've wanted a tattoo for ages and now seemed like the right time. But what should I get? I needed something that symbolized me. Something that I could and wanted to live with for the rest of my life. Something that spoke of my love of art. Something that spoke of my love science and palaeontology. Something strong and exciting. Something Canadian. Something I drew myself.



Last Friday, my sister and our two cousins from the UK accompanied me to the Sacred Heart Tattoo Studio on Davies Street, where I met Paul. My sister joined me in the tattooing room as Paul began the process. After photocopying my drawing onto a transfer sheet, he applied the transfer and began the tattoo. How did it feel? Constant, slight, prickly pain. A bit like scraping the point of a knife over your skin. After the first few minutes, you become used to it. In fact, I could totally get another one... but not yet! My tattoo took one hour to do. And it looks great. Better than great - awesome! I love the amount of detail Paul was able to include!

My tattoo has begun to scab and flake off (it's supposed to!) and I'm putting on some skin lotion to keep it moist. Soon, it will be completely healed and I'll post some pics!

Wedding:
The main reason I returned was my cousin's wedding, which was held at Burnaby Lake. My two cousins on Mom's side (Dave and Naomi) living in the UK along with my Mom's sister stayed with us for the wedding. It was great to catch up with them (I will be seeing them in a few weeks in London for the Daft Punk concert at Hyde Park!)

Dave and I had to become the MCs for the wedding at the last minute because the original MC became unavailable. We were able to do a decent job, doing toasts, calling which table goes next for food, and announcing the dances... It was my second MC gig. The first was MCing the wedding of this bride's sister - my other cousin!

More stories to follow, but safe to say I had a great time back home! Thanks to Mom, Dad, Sis, and all my friends! Stay tuned for more...