maggie, mops, cassidy and i went on an

avocado adventure today.

she read animal tracks in the dust and

i picked avocados from a un-surveillanced grove.

went exploring with mops today.

some type of giant black bird

(maybe a turkey vulture) soared in the sky.

and the world watches on
yet another apartheid.

for the sake of basic human rights and compassion;
world, come on.

hollyhocks are germinating!
(violas, dahlias and eggplants too!)

museum of anthropology at

university of british columbia.

had a super great exhibit about the diverse ways

indigenous youth navigate urban spaces and identity in

Canada, the US, New Zealand and Norway.

they also had hallways of drawers filled with
STUFF somehow acquired from all over.
thousands of mini egyptian figurines,
puppets from korea and masks from everywhere you can
imagine, all piled together without organization.

"museums are just institutionalized hoarders"
-my sister

vancouver, at low tide.
i sloshed around in the 
 sludge and tried to dig up clams.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

nibbled some ahi tuna poke,

waded in the pacific ocean,

and cruised down PCH in the

golden misty afternoon glow.

found a notebook of obscure drawings:

a very cool map of

aboriginal Australian languages

(250/700 of which are still used today)

dipped my toe in pool water

for the first time in months;

i became inexplicably happy

at the feeling of chlorinated water.

 ~ ~ ~

"What county in the world
best fits your personality?"

i got new zealand; good thing i studied abroad there!

"You are an adventurous individual who enjoys being

outdoors and spending time being active. You are a risk taker and

have no problem striking up a conversation with a total stranger.

When you travel you love to get to know the locals,

and their customs, and are always up for a challenge.

You thrive in a culture where others share your deep appreciation

for land, and believe life is best lived outdoors..

You thrive in a society with diversity and appreciate

a simpler way of living. You are keen on learning about cultures

and customs that are different than your own, and enjoy a deep conversation,

whether it be philosophical or spiritual."

is here!!!
(after one cray cray year of nonstop
writing, planning, drafting, collaborating,
analyzing, experimenting, trial + error,
community events and panel talks,
sleeping at 3am, lunch break chats, 12 hour days,
the entertainment of kindergartners' humor,
and a few great moments of teaching glory)

ok, back to weeding and pruning roses~

i was a banana slug and now i am a husky.

(but really i am a bananusky)

a product of kombucha in the forest
+ urban commutes in heavy traffic
(but with evergreens and rain showers)
and singing children who now know
how to sew and weave, to identity alliteration,
write petitions about problems in the world,
and 10 different types of fabric.

my mom, sister and i spent some time

at one of my favorite places

(black coffee co-op)

and then consumed alot of sugar.

after 18 years, i am finally finished with school

(as a student); now it's adventure-time!

hello spain, france, italy & greece~*~

a tropical fruit is growing in the greenhouse.

*made brunch
*returned my video recorder
*strolled washington park arboretum,
*admired plants, posted flyers,
*visited bruce lee's gravesite,
*sold 4 pieces of furniture. 
what a satisfying summer's day!

glaciers, rivers, bridges

waterfalls, trees, misty mountains

salmon migration

here's a sockeye in the ocean phase

swimming through the fish ladder.

then suddenly, a seal, sea otter, blue heron appeared

all at the same time next to the thousands of

baby salmon making their way upstream.

then my mom and i hiked around

discovery park for 4 hours

everyday for the past 9 months,

during our morning commute on i-5,

i saw an enormous beautiful snowy mountain

on the horizon of the highway.

everyday at the playground,

i pointed to mountain and said to my students:

look, it's Mount Rainier!

i finally went to it, and it really was a

a  s t u n n i n g   s n o w y

m a g i c a l

w i n t e r y

w o n d e r l a n d.