A Love Letter to Canada

What would you do if you had one day, one week, or one month to live?

This is the premise behind the new film "One Week" (now on DVD). It stars Joshua Jackson as a young man diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, who decides to motorcycle across Canada - from Toronto to Tofino. Filled with stunningly beautiful images of Canada along with Canadian icons, such as the Stanley Cup and Gord Downey of the Tragically Hip, "One Week" really is a love letter to my country.

For those palaeo-people out there, Joshua does ride through Drumheller (poses with the World's Largest Dinosaur) and stops at Dinosaur Provincial Park, where he takes a moment to equate his potential fate with that of the long-lost reptiles. The breathtaking shots of the badlands took me right back to 2002-04, when I lived amongst them...

But it was the film's central question that made me think. What would I do with a week to live? I identified greatly with Joshua's character in the film; both the same age (30), same career (teachers), similar look, similar decision making processes... I often found myself intensely emotionally invested in his choices.

But what would I do if I had one week to live?

I don't know. Until I'm faced with that situation, I don't think I could say. But I do have a few ideas...

• Travel Canada and the USA in the circle - cross Canada, down the East Coast, through Texas, up through California, Arizona, Montana, back to Vancouver.
• Be alone for a day. Reminisce. Write a book.
• Spend as much time with family and friends as possible. Laugh.

...I just realized as I wrote this that my first and third point seem mutually exclusive. Hmm. Being selfish and doing what you think needs doing, or sharing your time. Can these be reconciled? Time is precious when there isn't much of it.

I guess that is one of the points of the film. For all my fellow Canadians out there and everyone else around the world, see this movie. Not just to ponder this deep moral question, but also to experience just how damn beautiful Canada is!

Welcome to the Philippines - Vol. 7

This is the last set of photos from the Philippines. After the whale sharks in Donsol, it was time to head home. Back to Masbate by banca and then the overnight ferry to Cebu.

Goodbye, Philippines! I'll be back, someday!

Welcome to the Philippines - Vol. 6 (Whale Sharks)

After two days traveling from Cebu, we finally arrive at Donsol - the tiny fishing village but mecca for whale shark spotters! This is it, the place to see and swim with the Biggest Fish in the World: The Whale Sharks.

I will post about the sharks later, but here are my pictures of Donsol and the Whale Shark Swimming Expedition. Unfortunately, the water off Donsol is so nutrient-rich (the reason the sharks cluster here from December to April) that it appears green and limits visibility. This means I don't have any underwater pictures of me and beast. (Don't let this deter you, I made up for it with the last picture of this post!)

All in all, I swam with two whale sharks. The first, probably 10 meters long, we swam behind for maybe 10 seconds. What a shock it was when the skilled Shark-Spotter suddenly started yelling, "Go! Go! Go!" and we all jumped and flailed into the water, flippers on and holding our masks to our heads... And then, head under, the beast appears through the green murk. Kicking hard to keep up with it (and our guide), the shark disappears.

But an hour later, the second, much larger whale shark was spotted. It was an enormous 17 meters long, and swam right under the boat and right under me in the water. Silence descends as all your focus is directed at the beast, trying desperately to take in everything about the experience. The shark was huge and moving slowly, it's white speckled skin pattern filling my field of vision. I watched the fish for over a minute before it swam lower and disappeared. What an exhilarating and incredibly surreal experience sharing the water with something so big and powerful. I'll never forget it....

Donsol...

My first experience with the whale shark

Our shark-spotter (on the right) and the crew

Waiting for the sharks...

Mount Mayon, the most perfect cone volcano in the world, still active

Me and the whale shark!

Not-Me with a real whale shark (found this online to give you an idea of the experience!)

Focus on Whale Sharks next...

Welcome to the Philippines - Vol. 5

After the incredible time in Bohol learning to scuba dive, it was time to start the Search for the Whale Shark! We had to take a overnight ferry from Cebu to Masbate, and then a big banca (5 hour catamaran boat through rough water) from Masbate to Donsol....