Little Fish, Big Fish

Last day in this tropical paradise. Am I ready to come home? Now that I've met a few locals and learned how to surf, no. I can certainly feel the anxiety of returning to work and it will be an adjustment dealing with the stress of work. I've been so fortunate to have this and my last day completely affirmed the important moments in life.

I spent four hours in the morning running along shore, stretching in the sand, watching about 50 little fish play in the shallow waves, skipping rocks in the ocean (four skips is the most I could get), and walking out and sitting in the waves. Grandma and I went shopping in the afternoon and then had fried fish and salad...mmm...so good. For an hour, I watched the sunset and it was the clearest night we've had since being here. As the big ball of fire settled into the cool horizon, the whales were also giving their thanks. With a white sky as their background, these massive mammals launched themselves out of the water, exposing pecs to tail. At 45 feet in length, I was dumbfounded when, side by side, two whales would leap out of the water and come a crashing down. Humpback Whales have become my favorite living creature, next to humans...but it's a close second.

There's no doubt that I will return to this place...

Top Five Moments to Remember:
5. Little fishes are the most important part of the ocean food chain. Without the little things, the big things will not happen.

4. Locals, residents, and tourists Stephanie, Loli, Dave, Eli, Olivia, Mark, and of course Eddie (he's a gem) are people who I will remember for their kindness, sincerity, and fun.

3. Standing on top of a volcano, crater, or corporate ladder is not a finale, it is a simple point on a map. What surrounds the peak is where the adventure lies.

2. The difference between a three-foot wave and a five-foot wave is more speed and harder crashes. Twice I caught a big wave and twice I was pulled by my board into an unknown turmoil of water. The greater risk give greater reward, however, the fall is quicker and harder.

1. Despite so many people being deprived from nature, I will not take for granted the work I do, the place I work, and the people who are affected by nature.

An Aside Rant:
Until a third war, we may not fully understand and appreciate the gifts of food, water, and the environment that food and water thrives in. As a society, we enslave, the poor people, but also farmers, hunters, and gathers. Does anyone remember the dark ages? Or even WWII for that matter? I'm not talking about getting involved with politics or marches or even writing letters to your MP. I feel that we just need to take care of the little things, protest Kleenex products, support local farmers, and buy local products from local businesses. I understand the cost associated with local products but I feel that it's important that even a small percentage of total products purchased would make some sort of difference.

I have not watched any news down here, since its all rubbish and distracting from bigger issues in this world. In case you are wondering, however, the Bush Administration is approaching it's third phase in the attack of IRAN; a plan in place since 2003. Ring a bell? Yup, the borders of Afghanistan and Iraq run along Iran. Who supports Iran? Russia and China. Who supports U.S.? Britain, Israel, Canada. The attack is expected in April/May and for me, I plan on continuing life as if it's the last day. Might as well. I could be struck my lightning tomorrow! They (the independent war analyst) say that it could be a world war three. I asked grandma what it was like living in Canada during the war and she said, "We were fine because we were farmers." Right. I'm not a farmer. I think I'm going to buy a dairy cow.

I thought I'd share what information that has come my way. If you want to read some interesting articles about the state of our world, visit www.globalresearch.ca. Peace to you all...see you soon!