San Francisco, California - December 2010

Global Deejays - The sound of San Francisco

If you're going to San Fran-cisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your Hair

If your goin' to San Fran-cisco
You're ganna meet some gentle people there

A more gentle version :-)

This song seemed to be stuck in my head for all 5 days while in San Francisco and Bay area. Life goal #...when I graduated nursing, it was #1 on my list of places to live. The order in which I ended up here has changed gradually as I realized that surf and sand are my true calling (location: Tropical). In my earlier thoughts, I wanted to visit this place for the artistic culture, radical and revolutionary history, and my love for vintage clothing; who wouldn't want to live in San Fran and re-live the 1970s? Clearly, I am (and always will be) a flower child born in the wrong generation. Over time, I have learned to maintained a close connection with the mainstream life-style (I take my career seriously and keep my personal lifestyle separate) however, backpacking has given me the escape I need to experience life with my hair down.


Between completing my masters and moving back to Canada (secretly hoping that fate will just offer me a job in my field of interest on a silver platter) I decided to take the longer way home (still keeping to the same direction) and stop over in my long-desired city of San Francisco. By this time I have walked and discovered many other wonderful places down under and felt a bit less motivated then usual for this backpacking adventure. However, it wasn't the miles and distances covered on foot which have tired me out but the constant meeting of wonderful people and having to say good-bye each and every time. I think for someone who enjoys traveling this much should finally learn not to get so attached to friendships. The heart can take only so much emotional trauma till it will speak up and demand attention and rest.


By no means I was ready to take a rest in San Francisco, but I may have left my heart there after all. Or is this just a line I stole form Tony Bennett. I remember anticipating my home coming before, during and after arriving in Canada as it was a secret for mom and dad. My sister-in-law, my brother, and a few friends helped me out in keeping my arrival on the DL. I think the planning and organizing maybe have distracted me from completely embracing myself in SF however, here are some of the major attractions which I had the pleasure of experiencing.

1) Golden Gate Bridge
Fun Facts which I was told on the bus ride:
- fog is expected 360 days; guess this was one of them
- suggested travel season: Late summer/fall (Sept/Oct)
- most photographed monument in the world (really? my interest isn't individual... lol)















































2) Sausalito
Some of the most fascinating architectural beauty, all created on a mountain side. Who wouldn't want to have a sweet condo here and/or planning a retirement. However, the bus driver was just as envious as most of us tourist and told us: "Keep dreaming!" There is a greater chance for one to discover the ultimate happiness in your daily routine than physically be able to save up for a possible offer in this neighborhood. Make sense. But by this time I was only focusing on the opportunity for this challenge. Note to self: condo #39 on the top of the hill with private out-door escalator, will be mine !















































Anticipating my new hobby once I take up camp in Sausalito: Sailing! or photography, it's a toss up for now :-)















3) Fisherman's Warf
Only 2 words: Clam Chowdeeeeeeeeeeeeer ! Probably the best 5$ I have spent on a bread bowl with 1.5 cup of soup (if that). I was cold from the bus ride and therefore all I wanted was something hot and comforting. Two clam chowders in two consecutive days, that's how awesome it was. Then I was thinking to myself, could Tim Horton's start making this fabulousness for those who would want to enjoy this on a regular basis. At this time, my nursing instincts jumped out from a box up in the attic and suggested that I should stick to healthier choices lol. Minus the chill this day, walking around the Piers was a wonderful and enjoyable activity (oh yeah, no sea lions in sight...they were uninterested in the fog I'm assuming).














































































4) Pier 33 - Alcatraz

World famous monument, referred to in every-day conversation when describing an ultimate punishment or how I do: "my facebook safety features resembles Alcatraz". (Hehehe, I think this one is for my won entertainment). However, escaping and breaking out of Alcatraz might be easier then finding me on FB now-a-days thanks to Mark's awesome safety features :-) Thanks Mary Mark !!!!

Ok, back to Alcatraz. Learning that this massive waste of government funding - started out with 3000 available spaces and only a few hundred people ever actually occupying the cells - comforts me in knowing that just like most (in my opinion) man-made-wonder is a decoration rather than something functional which can be utilized by the larger portion of the population. Fine, I admit, the guys who had the opportunity to take up residence in this place, did not live in a palace, or did they ? I mean, isolated location, becoming best friends with the security guards (as most of the guards lived with their families on the island), and knowing that life sentence never meant death sentence (unless your inmate-buddies did not find you very popular) since the electric chair did not exist on this horrible establishment - or so it was made for us to believe.

Any punishment facility without a possibility to carry out a death sentence doesn't sound that horrible to me. However, I would still not be the first in line to give it a trial. Hence why I consider myself an honest and law-obeying citizen. I did have the chance, while taking the tour, to step into the cells but opted not to. Standing in front of the open doors gave me an eerie feeling. Being surrounded by other tourists did not give me the confidence nor curiosity to experience (as I imagined) claustrophobic-feeling of being surrounded by 3 close walls and a gated door. Maybe I empathize too well and just scared myself with my own thoughts: but standing there I had a feeling and vision which was an experience felt real and enough for my appetite.





















































































5) Steepest hill in the San Francisco Bay area (Lombard @ Hyde St)

We were told this isn't the true story however, most tourist get this explanation. I however, tuned out to hear which street is the steepest. I'm sure wiki can fill in my story on this one.









































6) Union Square Park

I took shelter near the USP in a hostel called International Hostel. There I met my roommate who was in town for a conference. She was a PhD candidate in marine biology. Do to her long hours though we did not get to chat much while I was there. Our final day we had a nice long chat and she admired my finds at the local GoodWill. Further to come on this story when I introduce Haight Street.
























































7) Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ferrari (O'Farrell/Stickton)




































8) Government office
UN plaza; Supreme Court; Asian Art Museum



































9) Golden Gate Park
Japanese Garden; National AIDS Memorial Grove; California Academy of Science
















































































10) Haight St

1855 Haight St - Amoeba Music - As if I took a step into Empire Records movie set. Largest record, CD, DVD, cassette or any other form of music store I have ever been to. I made one purchase only and it was in the spirit of the holidays: Charlie Brown Christmas classics. Happy Holidays while on the road (and boy was it wonderful on my flight home).



1700 Haight St - GoodWill (Cole St/Haight St)
Here I had the chance to purchase a few wardrobe essentials: 4 sweaters, 4 pairs of shoes/boots for me and a few others suited for the winter season. Getting back to the hostel, I finally had the chance to chat to my roommate for the first time. I had to brag about my new purchases (well, new-for-me) and she was super stunned. She decided on the spot to skip her conference the next day and head out on a shopping spree.


11) Painted Ladies (Hayes/Steiner)

Here are the left-over architectural dessert for you, through my eyes.

UQ Graduation 2010 - Brisbane, Australia

Graduation ceremonies are respected by many however, there is always a handful of people who consider them (if I can paraphrase properly here): a nuisance. To these few, (again based on what people have voiced to me) graduation is an event driven by money or it is an unnecessary event where people practice self-control when really all they want to do is stand up and walk out with their stamped piece of paper in hand just before the long-winded speeches begin (aka: waste of time). Personally, I too have thought these same conflicting thoughts but attending graduation has always outweighed not attending (even though I highly considered bailing out on my masters graduation day, solely due to travel plans!). I am definitely one of those individuals who very much enjoy making a big deal about graduation and have as many supporters in the audience as possible to see me (may or may-not make a disaster on stage but none-of-the-less) walk across the stage and receive my empty degree holder in hand. In 2010, these (and minus ONE) are the people who encouraged me to attend graduation day !

The people you see in this picture (minus ONE) are those who I consider my-family-while-away-from-my-family. These individuals are in some part (if not fully) responsible in a) encouraging me to attend this year's graduation b) my success in finishing my masters and c) all my experiences which we shared together... while visiting down under. They are the reason (minus ONE plus a few others) why my 2010 was so wonderful and filled with experiences one (or I) will never forget.


The hustle and bustle of the day gets everyone a little excited and extra organized mainly to be on time for the festivities. There is a strict schedule for the days' events which most people respect in order to allow for smooth executions. Then there is me. I am taking my time, taking pictures in the great court even though I am being hurried on by some of the people in my cheering squad. Only to arrive to the designated 'gown pick-up' location and realize that it has been relocated, AND NOW THINGS GET HOT ! Once we all realize that it's only minutes away from the start of the ceremonies I still don't have a gown !!!!!! Everyone ....run ! Thanks to a friend (who is a phd student at uni) ran ahead to try and find the gown place, and we realized that the relocated venue is across from the event building. FEw! saved !










A few pictures, taking it easy again.....wait a minute ....people are walking in ...no wait ..running into the event hall. "Renata, will you go and line up already ....graduation is starting!" says one of my cheering squad members! So I finally listen and walk in....



Only to realize that everyone is lined up ..... oh man I am so late now. I am on the verge of asking someone inline for some direction when a lady with a headset on asks: are you walking on at 2pm...... ? I reply: yes! She grabs my gown (as my hands are buried somewhere under there) and rushes me into a room ...others watching (I am totally embarrassed as I realize that everything is about to start and I am totally not cooperating with the set schedule). She grabs a sheet off the tables set up in this room, and asks if the name on the paper is me (last paper standing). Sure enough, it's me. I say: yes ! #39 .....she starts running to the front of the line ....asking people oh so often of their numbers......finally: "are you 38".... ? "yes!" Ok Renata, get in line and WALK ! I think to myself: perfect timing..... and I start walking into the event hall on cue with everyone else.


















My heart did beat a little fast by this time but I still don't know why people take things so seriously. I made it into the line on time and so what if I didn't ....there was 2h for people to sit around and receive their specially stamped piece of paper (then sit and listen to some incredible speeches). There was lots of time for me to walk and get organized. lol





And there you have it. This little story pretty much sums up my masters program, my experiences with friends in the land of awesomeness (aka: Australia), and everything else in the year 2010.





















I would like to thank everyone for

a) putting up with me while being late all the time, taking things too easy, and at times maybe even driving you a little bonkers only because I was more lassie-fair with most of my plans

b) being there for me even though what was mentioned above

c) and lastly, giving me a lifetime of memories which will never be forgotten.

Because of the people I have met this year I am a better person and I am able to continue my adventures in the new year with a sense of excitement for the future and further attempt to fulfill my curious soul. I learned ways to listen to others like never before, contemplate and share ideas, and create true friendships across the globe. I feel very fortunate for every experience, every hick-up, and mistakes that I made. Because these are the experiences that have matured me to become a better friend, tenant, roommate, colleague, woman's advocate, and a soulful traveler all at once.


Wishing those who have made my 2010 peace and happiness, health and strength for the new year. May our paths cross again anywhere and at anytime on a path that suits our desire.























Congratulations SPH students 2010!!!
(and breath)

xo
R :-)

Neptunes Synchro 2010

These are the 9 smiling faces which have taught me lessons about resilience ! Thanks to these amazing ladies I learned how to make the best of every situation. Here is how the story goes:


Neptunes synchro faced a very difficult 2010 season. Changing coaches, music, possibilities and everything in between (within a very short amount of time of only a few months)...these girls experienced it. They could have easily pick up their over-sized synchro bags and walk away from the club and the sport all together. Yet, these amazing and determined girls stuck it out and showed me that a little hick-up in management and politics of the club will not stop them from showing up to practice each week. Why? for the love of the sport.

Synchronized swimming is not a well accepted sport in Australia to begin with. These girls get an earful from their friends and family members who do not appreciate such artistic sport. In a land of male-dominated sports like rugby, cricket, and more rugby, girls-only sports are not funded let alone supported to excel in the mainstream media. So then, how does a sport like synchro swimming has any chance to exist at all ?

Remember the 9 smiling faces? It all starts with these lovely and enthusiastic ladies. They show up to practice, work hard, promote the sport amongst their non-believing friends and family, and so on. The coaches like myself and Miriam (one amazing lady all in one package), feel that because of the enthusiasm these girls show each practice makes it worth while for us to show up as well. I really had no desire to continue with the club once I realized how much politics and 'issues' they were facing. I was looking for a de-stress activity from my masters, and at this point it added to my headache. But then I took a moment and thought back to the past ...

This exact situation took me back to a time when I too had to face the politics of my synchro club. At the peak of my performance I decided to quit the sport because I thought politics will not have the best of me. Instead of ignoring the politics (and facing them at the same time) and worrying to keep the sport alive, I did end up taking the short end of the stick. I let the politics get the best of me. I turned my back on a sport not only I loved but I loved to practice and take on as a challenge.

Why do we let politics get the best of us (when nothing exist without the chaos it brings)?

Every group, community, and activity has a management system whether we like it or not. It is how life works and how anything social has the possibility to exist. However, as naive as this sounds, I thought by turning my back on difficult times, they will too go away and not exist. I felt that quitting synchro, they will lose something important, like... me (I thought without athletes to perform, the management system too will disappear). Oh how wrong I was. But in real, I lost the chance to master complex and difficult situations as well as the fun that came with swimming and competing. I missed out on the chance to face difficult times (head-on) and smoothing out road-bumps ahead: in sport and in life.

Thinking of my past, I decided to face the troubles Neptunes sycnhro were facing and not quit on these girls. They needed me the same way I needed to learn from them (not fully aware of what the lesson was going to be at the time). This was my second chance to face those issues which I would not have in the past.

These girls have taught me the significance of facing challenges (by putting in the effort in attempt to fix the issues as they arise) and accept whatever the outcome is (even if these problems do not get solved). They taught me how to work hard unconditionally. It's never black or white, and every reaction may not have an equal and opposite reaction we expect. The club may have issues to manage and deal with, but while these girls showed up to practice, in the water, the sport was the only thing that mattered. The show must go on! It's a statement all performers know about and commit to. Regardless of the cost.

This is the spirit of competition. I have lost this spirit somewhere between doing my best and the dreadful aura of politics of sport management. But we have to be better than that. The reason a sport is alive or not based on the participants' resilience. Resilience I feel, comes from taking the time to understand the politics within a club but also ignore it to a certain level in order to keep the spirit of the sport alive. Athletes have to both face the troubles and be able to manage it without letting it take a toll on their performance. (The same way a pro-athlete can tune out elements of the competition: audience, on-lookers, judges, other competitors, managers, etc).

I was not able to do that back then. I thought: If I cannot have peace in the background of the games, I cannot be involved in such activity. But really, I cut myself short by not learning to take on such multidimensional challenges. You cannot have one without the other. At Neptunes synchro the challenge was cut out for me: was I ready to face them?

Then I met these 9 girls. For their sake, and for my own, I decided to stick out the tough times at Neptunes. This was probably one of the best choices for me as a life experience. These girls have been a wonderful role model for me. They were resilient and I learned to be resilient with them. Everyday it was a struggle to get out of bed and continue typing my assignments. Each Saturday, however, was a different story. Filled with excitement and energy, I was waiting for my ride and ready to coach these lovely girls! I even wore sunscreen (something I do not enjoy wearing on a regular basis, sky-rocketing-skin-cancer-rates and all).

July to Dec 5th I had a wonderful time coaching at the club. I am also very happy to have met everyone at Neptunes synchro. I can only wish them all the best and hope that the club stays alive. Synchro is not an easy sport. It takes dedication and loads of quality time amongst the swimmers. To be synchronized is not just a skill, but it's a way of life amongst the girls. They have to be close friends, they have to work together and support each other every step of the way.

I hope that if nothing else, their friendship will live on even outside of the pool deck. And well, all that resilience will make them successful in everything they do in life.



Missing you ladies ! And Miriam, thank you for showing me how true coaches do it.

XO
R :-)

Cairns 2010 - Diving low and traveling high

Flying over the Great Barrier Reef















Cairns















City Library (my collection)















Soaking up the sun














Day 2 - Diving low with Ocean Spirit

I signed up for a diving/snorkel experience in hope to get a taste of the Great Barrier Reef. At first, I planned on snorkeling only (more confident in that area) at the Oyster and Upolu reef but quickly 'settled' for experiencing the reef from up close and personal. Not diving at the largest reef in the world would be missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience, BIG TIME (Belize is second to the GBR)!!!! So I said: One beginner dive please ! Most of the diving companies were fully booked the day I arrived so I was lucky to book with Ocean Spirit at this time.

On the day of my tour, extremely excited, I got up 2h before the cat sailed out. With some solid McD's egg-McMuffin in my tummy and my camera fully loaded I was ready to dive dive dive !

Hold up, not so fast ! (being singled out yet again)

Sailor: Renata Mares?!
Renata: Yes?
Sailor: I believe you are on this cat. You will be upgraded today to another trip. Are you ok with this arrangement ?
Renata: Where am I going today instead of Oyster and Upolu?
Sailor: Michaelmas Cay !!!

Renata: (thinking) As if I know the difference. Reef is a reef ....right? (WRONG! Once back on shore, I took some time and compared the difference between the two trips. I then found out that I got upgraded to a much more lavish tour with a much larger and fancier feast included. Along with great food, the staff was extremely nice to me: received free pictures, extra diving time, and received a tour around Michaelmas Cay (on the house) where I got to see sharkrays and blacktip reef sharks).

Saaaaaweeeeeet deal !!!!



Renata: Sure thing. Thanks ! (enjoy the images)

Michaelmas Cay from a distance














Finally, it's diving time, along with some photo shoot (tehehe!)






















The fancy feast I mentioned earlier.
















Soaking up the sun and snorkeling at the Cay.






























Day 3 - Choo choo, up to the tropical rain forest we gooooo!

First stop: village of Kuranda














































































Village of Kuranda
This might be a tourist destination but it's definitely worth the trip. Here I met a lovely man selling all kinds of yummy nuts and home made snacks. He also introduced me some new languages. The gentleman started the conversation by asking about where I was from. Turns out his daughter and I have switched countries for the year. She's loving Canada, and as always I am loving the opposite side of the world. People are funny like that.

Then he told me a little bit about traveling during his younger years. He had the opportunity to work and make friends in Japan, PNG, Philippines and Fiji. He spoke fluent Philippine and Pidgin from PNG. He was a lovely and wise man. The only thing I purchased from him was a bag of delicious wasabi macadamian nuts but received some wonderful stories on the side.

Once I had the oppurtunity to see all three markets I made my way down the hill back to the train station. There I got on the skyrail and ...



...Over the trees and shrubs we go !





























































December 1, 2010: Enjoying my last day with the French mademoiselles



















Such beautiful places and people. Nothing less was expected but much more was gained which was out of the ordinary ! Was it just my luck or my nature ? The trip was a total awesomeness ....


XO

R :-)