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Alcatraz - I was re-reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman the other day and the book’s description of sacred places made me think of this lonely island in the Bay Area.

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Piling rocks to while the time away

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With the Siwash Rock as the photo’s subject, there just was no chance for it to be an ugly photo. But when I was experimenting with the colour palette, I cranked up the yellow and just fell in love with how it brought out the details on the rock.

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Dusk comes and I watch the sea alone...

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Someone made this cement factory in Granville Island fun!

I just have to say, Granville Island is one of my favorite places in Vancouver. There is never a boring corner... the food is just divine... and everyone is so friendly and creative! Looking forward to my next trip back!

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Quirky mailboxes! Saw these when I was in Granville Island last Victoria Day long weekend

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Family Roadtrip, Victoria Day Long Weekend, 2016 

It’s a 11-14 hour drive from Calgary to Vancouver, depending on what route you take. But all that time behind the wheel is worth it when you’ve got sights like this one to keep you company.

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“I am not your rolling wheels – I am the highway. I am not your carpet ride – I am the sky. I am not your blowing wind – I am the lightning. I am not your autumn moon – I am the night.” - Audioslave, I Am the Highway

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POEM: In Mamasapano (in the dead of the night)

I was going through my old school essays when I came upon some reflection journals I wrote for my Communications and Culture Class. The entry that caught my eye was the one about John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields." At that time, the Mamasapano incident had just happened and was causing a lot of confusion and anger in the Philippines. Reading McCrae's poem then definitely struck a cord with me so as part of my reflection, I submitted a poem that borrowed a lot of elements from McCrae's but ultimately veered away from his intentions. Here's an excerpt of my entry and the poem itself:

When I heard about what happened, I could not believe it at first. These were things that only happened in war and as far as I know, we are now living in peace time. The fact that it happened in my own country added weight to my disbelief. It was only when I re-read McCrae’s poem that I started to accept that all that had come to pass was real. It felt like that stanza I quoted earlier was spoken by those fallen men.  I started to wonder what else they would say to me. In attempt to give these men their voices back for a few measly stanzas, I thought I’d write a poem about it. I’m not a very good poet but I wanted to try anyway. Interestingly enough, once I was done with the poem, I realized that my and McCrae’s messages were completely different.

 In Mamasapano (in the dead of the night)

 In Mamasapano, in the dead of the night,

An infantry stole away in the dark.

But two groups met and settled to fight

That led to a blood bath so stark.

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We are the 44 dead.

Sprung from different poles,

Of this land we have sworn to protect.

We are the 18 dead.

Close to the independence,

We will always covet.

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You who pick up our guns,

Heed our plight.

You who slide us into caskets,

Take up our fight.

 But know that death comes to those who deal in arms.

And ruin comes to those who look to shed blood.

So take our fight to the halls of justice,

That it may leave the killing fields.

Take our fight to the rooms of learning,

That it may be a lesson to all.

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We are the 62 dead, placed all in a row,

In Mamasapano, in the dead of the night.

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Spectators at the Rogers Centre

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Eye in the Sky in Niagara, ON

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Tree on the wall - I went to Toronto this October with my cousin. One of the highlights of my trip was seeing all the old houses with vines creeping on their walls. Just beautiful!

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Trainspotting - I’ve always been fascinated by trains. Just think, this hunk of metal that travels from coast to coast carries with it a long history of successes and failures, of pain and happiness, of dreams and nightmares.

This was taken when my family and I went to Banff for Boxing Day in 2014.

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Overlooking Taal - This was taken on my last trip to the Philippines. My best friend and I went to Tagaytay and stayed there for 3 days. We did a grand total of nothing because we had both already spent our money on the hotel and the (sort-of) rental car. Still had fun though! :D

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Sunset in Calgary - You don't need to be standing on a beach or in the wilderness to appreciate sunsets. They are beautiful everywhere.

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Taking the leap

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Twilight in Bahrain