Hooray! Will be taking a little holiday to Uruguay today! So I would like to thank you for all your birthday wishes as well as wish a very merry "unbirthday" to you....

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

http://www.youtube.com/user/AspiringPhotographer

Bono: Grace over Karma, Christian Music Interviews, Features

If you haven't heard already, singer Katy Perry filmed a clip of her performing with Elmo that was set to air on Sesame Street. But the clip has been pulled due to complaints that Katy Perry's dress is too "sexy". I'm at total loss for words to how anyone would think that her dress is too revealing. All I can say is that the parents who raised a stink about Katy Perry's attire should probably never take their children to a public swimming pool either for fear that their little minds should get corrupted from the mere sight of the human body *sigh*

I cannot put into words how richly blessed I feel right now that came as a result of choosing to honor and observe Yom Kippur by prayer, fasting and basically consecrating the day to God. Alot of good came out of it that I will tell in due time but for now, I'll let you in on some cool things I discovered for you to check out. On Yom Kippur I was listening to a bunch of sermons and podcasts and there was one speaker that caught my attention. His name is Dr Robi Sondregger and his is a clinical psychologist who has a degree in neuroscience.

I can tell you right now that i have been to church all my life but I have never heard a speaker like Dr. Robi. He masterfully blends humor, scripture, and science. The whole theme of his messages are about protecting children, protecting the family, fighting child trafficking and exploitation, self esteem and creating better self awareness so one you can take care of yourself and your relationships. And I just want to say that when I say "protecting the family" it is not sermons about defending the definition of marriage. That is not what he talks about. What he talks about is the breakdown of communication, security and all the thinks that make a healthy relationship function. He actually did a whole series on family life that is available as a free podcast on "Hillsong Church Capetown". You can download it on itunes.

For example, in one of the messages he talks about one of the reasons people gets into pornography. He explains that anytime you have a damaging event in your life or anything your brain registers as pain, your brain automatically as a defense mechanism. This is why when you go through a breakup, you automatically want to sit on the couch with ice-cream and the TV. You brain is wanting to get those pleasure receptors going to deal with pain.  He also mentioned that sometimes boredom can be registered in your brain as pain so when you are bored, your brain automatically wants to start finding some form of pleasure. And it's at that vulnerable moment at your computer and you are bored that you get that little message with a picture attached to it saying that a "friend" is waiting to meet you.  Pornography and so many other things have been the reason for the breakdown of relationships and he comes from a educated perspective and gives people coping techniques with his background in childwelfare and neuroscience.

Although I am single, I gleaned so much from listening to him talk. There are things that I can learn to help improve myself and there are principles he taught on how to make relationships work that is definitely an asset for me to keep in mind for the future.  Because honestly, relationships are relationships whether it is a friendship or a romance. Alot of my very close friends have told me that things you need to make a friendship work are very similar to what makes a romantic relationship work. No matter what relationships I may have in my world, there is always room for improvement and I am always looking for ways to keep things fresh.

 Dr. Robi has two excellent websites www.drrobi.com and www.ihold.tv He actually did a whole series on family life that is available as a free podcast on "Hillsong Church Capetown". You can download it on itunes. Or you could just search his name on itunes under "Dr Robi Sonderegger" and you should be able to find the series.  I have included a clip of him speaking at a conference so you can get a taste of him as a speaker.

Enjoy!

How to Learn Any Language

Shalom...

Yom Kippur begins at sunset today. For those of you who may not be familiar with Judeo-Christian traditions, Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. In Israel, literally the whole city shuts down for a whole 25 hours until the following Saturday. It is the sabbath of sabbath, a 25 hour period where the people have this one day to atone for all their sins before God and have their record wiped clean for this coming year. The holiday isn't so much about the judgment of God as it is about the mercy of God and his willingness to wipe our record clean if we come before him with repentance. I found an amazing article reflecting on Yom Kippur and I encourage you to read it. Those of you who are fans of my writing style are going to like this article very much. There are many things in the article that reflect my personal belief system and my perspective of God and I found it to be an excellent read.

The Fast Track to Love and Forgiveness by Rabbi David Aaron

But for Yom Kippur, I want to use another Bible story to illustrate a truth. The story is of a woman in the Bible named Hagar. And by the end of this blog, you'll see how I'm using this story as a tie in to the theme of love & forgiveness, which is what Yom Kippur is all about. Alot of people know about the story of Abraham & Isaac and how God promised a son to Abraham in his old age and that Abraham would be the father of many descendants, which are the Jewish people today. But Abraham is not just the father to one people group, he is actually the father of two.

You see, after God gave the promise to Abraham, Abraham really had no idea how all this would come to pass. So he tried to take things into his own hands. His wife Sarai, had a servant named Hagar and Sarai decided to see if they could make God's promise come to pass by getting Abraham to impregnant her servant. Abraham agrees to this and impregnates Hagar. Now when Hagar first gets pregnant, she uses her pregnancy as leverage to mock and disrespect Sarai. So there is a falling out between the two women and Sarai uses her position of power and authority mistreat Hagar. Hagar flees and soon finds herself out in the desert near a spring.

It is then that an angel comes to her and talks to her. Hagar explains that she is fleeing from her mistress The angel tells her that this child of hers is very special and to go back to her mistress and submit to her authority. Hagar does just that and in the Bible, there is no further account of Hagar ever disrespecting Sarai again. Later on Hagar then gives birth to a son and names him Ishmael and the prophecy that the angel said would that the child would have a great destiny and he would also be "wild" and be constantly be against everyone and everything. I think that words of the angel were proven right one day when Ishmael was fighting with Isaac. Sarai sees this and uses it as grounds to send Hagar and Ishmael away.

Abraham did not want to do this because Ishmael was also his son but Sarai was insistent that she wants nothing to do with them. So Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away with a few provisions. They end up in the desert and their provisions run out. Hagar then begins to cry out to God. Then a voice from heaven speaks to her and asks her what is the matter. She replies by saying that she does not want to see the boy die. They did nothing wrong to end up here in this place. God speaks to her and tells her that he has heard her cry and then God opens Hagar's eyes to see a well of water and they were able to refill the water skin. The Bible then says God was with the lad and he lived in the wilderness of Paran, became an expert in Archery and married an Egyptian woman.

And there are some points from this story that I want to reflect on . Hagar was an egyptian born slave woman. She could not help what she was born into, her background, class and status. None of her outcome was because of any wrong doing of hers. She couldn't change the fact that she was born an egyptian, or that she was a slave. She couldn't control the fact that Abraham and Sarai decided to use her to conceive a child. It wasn't her fault that she got sent out into the desert to die with her a child that really had been their idea to conceive through her. But God never forgot her and not only did God save the child, God made him into a great nation too.

This is a story that has been very close to my heart these last few days. My story is one that similar to Hagar's, I was born into things I couldn't help. And due to other people's choices, I was left very disadvantaged in life. There was a nite this week where I was feeling rather down and it was then that God came to me with this story and I realized that no matter what the outcome of our situations, God can create greatness out of our lives. There are some of you out there that may be like me, you couldn't help what you were born into. You couldn't help the choices people made of those who had power and authority. But this Yom Kippur, remember that God is just and he can birth greatness out of you. Hagar's son Ishmael became the father of the Arabic people and Hagar lived the rest of her life happy and free.....and you can too.

http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.2.Hagar.htm

G'mar Tov :)

(In Hebrew this literally means "A good finish". It is the proper greeting for Yom Kippur. It expresses a desire and wish for someone to be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year)

I am sitting here in the coffee shop Khona, my tummy happy, content, and full from just having eaten an all you can eat feast at Victoria's one and only Sukiyaki restaurant, Posh. If you are in Victoria looking for a healthy alternative that is cheap and even gives you the chance to escape H.S.T. then look no further than "Posh" on 1063 Fort St (where fort meets cook st).

I was quickly seated by their friendly and polite staff but before I got seated, a sign at the entrance caught my attention. It said "Beat H.S.T. Between July - Sept we will take off H.S.T. if you pay entirely in cash." Upon reading that sign I was sold on this place. An all you can eat restaurant where simply by paying cash you can get 5% taken off your bill. Before I thought that such a place existed only in my imagination.

It didn't take long for me to learn exactly what Japanese Sukiyaki is. Many cultures in the world have their own version of a hot pot.  A type of meal where there is a hotpot in the centre and vegetable and meat get thrown into it. Sukiyaki is the Japanese version of a hotpot. How it works is that when you are seated at the restaurant, someone will come to you with an electric hotpot with some cabbage and water in it. The staff turns on the hotpot and the water starts to boil with the cabbage inside.

You then get given a sheet with a list of vegetables and types of meat. All you have to do is tick off what exactly you want and what quantities you want.  It is such a wicked deal because you can ask for as much meat or vegetables as you want. If I want 10 pieces of tofu and 4 bowls of rice, they will bring it to me.  I soon found myself with some platters with strips of raw meat a huge plate filled with all the vegetables I requested, and a side or raw noodles. Not to mention the three bowls of rice I had asked to go along with it. Looking back, if I had know that the meal would have been as filling as it was, I probably would not have asked for so much rice.

So i began tossing the different meats, vegetables and noodles into this boiling hotpot. Whenever the liquid got too low, there were containers filled with water and sauce at the side that I could use to refill the hotpot. My sukiyaki experience had begun........and it sure was tasty!  The amount if vegetables and meat I had ordered amounted to 3 course meal. As soon as I was done eating the first round, I threw on more vegetables and meat for the 2nd round. It was about halfway through the second round that I looked up and realized that there was just enough uncooked vegetables and meat left for a 3rd round, which I had no stomach left for. If i had been looking for a cheap way to fill my belly with as much as I possible could, I achieved my goal.

It was then I the brilliant idea to throw the rest of the food into the hotpot and cook to take back for dinner or possibly breakfast or lunch tomorrow. It was then I found out that technically, the restaurant does not do "take out" for the "all you can eat" type of meals. At least not in the sense that you and I are used to where we can have whatever is left over just packed way into boxes. Instead, if you want to take whatever is left of the food, you would pay $4 extra and they would give you a little carton for your take out. You have to pay $4 for each carton that you need or want. Fortunately, the remainder of my food all fit into one carton so I only ended up having to pay $4 extra.

Altogether, I ended up paying $22 in total including the tip. And I can't help feeling like I got a killer deal. I ate the equivalent to a two course meal until I was completely stuffed and had enough to take back with me for a 3rd meal. Along with a tall glass of authentic Japanese Matcha to wash down my food for $2.50  And I got the full sukiyaki experience without having to go to Japan.  Getting a cross cultural experience at such a low price leaves only one things to be said........ITADAKIMASU!!!!!!!

Posh

Remember when I said earlier that being an affiliate gave me perks and benefits that I would be able to share with all of you out there?  In their generosity, Rocket Languages has provided me with a free report that I am welcome to share with you called "Ordinary Ways to Learn a Language Extraordinarily Fast".  It is an absolute must for any serious language learners. Inside this booklet that I am offering to you free as a way of thanking you for visiting this site, it contains all the secrets to mastering learning another language from the experts. As a language learner, I actually have not see anything like this before that accurately gives language learners the lowdown on what exactly your mind needs to successfully learn another language. And it is only available through an affiliate like me, you can't get it anywhere else on earth.

Here is the link to the booklet. You are welcome to download it for your own personal use.  It is a great read and I highly recommend that you keep it as a resource. I really wish that when I was first starting out as a language learner that there was a booklet like this for me to refer to. But I did have help from a fantastic website called "How to Learn Any Language" and it is another resource that I want to recommend to you. Between this marvelous booklet and the website I have listed above, you'll find enough information that will get you well on your way to mastering another language.

Ordinary Ways to Learn a Language Extraordinarily Fast

In celebration of the Japanese culture and language, I've posted a clip here from a famous Japanese movie that was done many years ago called "Shall we dance?"  The story is about an unhappy accountant who secretly takes up dancing as a hobby.  Back in the day, the idea of men taking dancing lessons were frowned upon.  But everything changes one day when he looks up and sees an ad for dancing lessons while riding the train home....

"Waza waza"

No, I'm haven't taken on some new native tribal language. The actual phrase here is "Waza waza domo" and it is an ultra polite way of saying "thank you" in the Japanese business culture. This blog is the third part installment to a series of blogs I have been writing to review Rocket Japanese's program. There is a part of the course that teaches you a way of speaking when you are doing business or in ultra formal situations. This type of Japanese is called "kaigo" and the interactions and words you must use in formal situations is culture all on it's own.

 I am so thankful out there for a program like Rocket Japanese that gives me a mini culture course on phrases I must use and the expectations of me in those settings. Let's see if I can remember some of what I just learned....watashi becomes wakushi. Koko (here) and soko (there) becomes "kochira" and "sochira". When giving a gift I must present it with both hands, bow, and then say something like "I am very sorry for this boring and worthless gift".

I'm glad that I'm not planning to do business in Japan anytime soon! So many things to remember when dealing with an ultra formal situation. But Japan has a booming economy and you never know where life may take you so i think that knowing business Japanese is a valuable tool to have for the future.  Rocket Japanese will have you conquering "kaigo" in no time!

Ganbatte! Good luck!

Betcha that many of you out there don't know that as a language learner, I have a pet peeve. And unfortunately, alot of people outside the language learning world do often end up petting my pet peeve unintentionally.  And ironically, their comments to me were often times meant as a compliment so taking that into account, I have to let it go and understand that they meant well.

But what bothers me as a language learner is when I am talking to people about being fluent in a language, I will get a comment like "Oh, you're just naturally good at languages."  Yes and no. This is something that I would like to explain.  Yes, there are some people who naturally pick up languages faster than others. It is possible to not study at all and go to a country and pick up the language. But even if you plan on doing that, you have to commit to spending time with the locals and with people that don't speak your native tongue.

And the part that many people don't get is that I am where I am because of commitment. While in Canada, I had the option of choosing to do many other things but I chose to be with my spanish grammar books and my audio lessons. When it came to movies, I chose spanish language films instead of the latest hollywood blockbuster. When I was in Argentina, I chose to go to church events and cell group on thursday where there were no english speakers.

Although there are some of you out there that would be able to go to a country without much study and pick up the language, understand that there are many levels of fluency. If you do your homework right and commit time to studying, you will have a so much more enriching experience and will be able to engage in a deeper level of conversation with the locals than you ever dreamed of.  You'll be able to get more done and any problems that may arise you'll be able to solve them faster. And trust me, there were several occasions in my early days where I ran into some problematic situations that would have cost me several hours more of my time if I did not know the language as well as I did.

I think people almost get this idea that me having natural language speaking abilities, that I just woke up one morning and foreign words starting popping out of my mouth. Well every so often I do get up on the wrong side of the bed and the words that pop out of my mouth are alot closer to foul than foreign LOL  But my point is that it all boils down to choice. It's not up to fate whether you succeed or fail as a language learner.

On that note, I also want to balance it out by saying that commitment is one part of it and the other part is finding the appropriate resources and methods of teaching and learning. Don't even get me started on how much marketing junk there is out there claiming to get you speaking a foreign language in your sleep. If you're reading this and you've been one of those who has spent hours studying and learning and you haven't had success, don't take this blog the wrong way. It is likely that you just haven't been paired up with the right resources.  Which is why I continually Rocket Languages and their products as well the website "How to Learn Any Language" is an excellent resource that I highly recommend.

Buenas suerte!  Good luck!

Image by weegolo via Flickr

I admit that as a language learner who is now fluent in one language, it is easy to get prideful at times when you hit this level where you can flow in and out of speaking and understanding two different languages. It's hard not to get a little puffed up when people around you are telling you how amazingly well that you speak and that they don't encounter alot of foreigners that can speak as well as you.

If you fear getting too prideful in your language learning abilities, then I have a cure for you. There is no better way to eat humble pie than to spend an evening trying to conquer learning the Japanese writing system of hiragana. Fortunately, Rocket Languages has an amazing program that comes with their audio language program. It is called Mega Japanese and basically it is these words and picture games that you can play on your computer to increase your vocabulary skills and build your audio comprehension. Every Rocket Language product comes with this game that is free as a download once you've purchased your chosen language.

In the case of Rocket Japanese, there are three types of games available for me to play. One that helps with my audio skills, one for my vocabulary, and the third game is to help me learn Hiragana. The way the game works is that I will be shown a symbol and to the right, I have 4 different sounds to choose from. Only one of them is correct and I have to pick the sound that corresponds with the hiragana symbol.

The first time I played the game, I came out with a whooping score of 60 out of 150.  Which is gentle reminder to me that when it comes to Japanese, as a language learner I am basically at the bottom of Mt. Fuji.  I don't think that anyone at this point is going to be rushing to book tours to Japan with me. Having a tour guide that cannot read the signs properly does not leave much peace of mind for the people on the tour!  But I'm determined to scale this mountain at all cost (I mean in a metaphorical sense of language learning. Fitness-wise, I'm going to need a few more centuries before I'm in any shape to be actually scaling Mt. Fuji)

I was very pleased that after taking some time out one evening to practice MegaHiragana, my score improved drastically and by the end of the nite, my average score was 96 out of 150. It was at a point that I could guess the right sound for the majority of the symbols in two tries or less.  And I swear that this game must have some kind of intelligence because at once point it seemed that everytime I started to recognize alot of the symbols, new ones would get thrown at me that I had never seen before in my life.

One of the greatest dangers and language learner can face is getting satisfied with their level and not feeling the need to pursue more. I was in Argentina when Rocket Spanish Platinum came out, the third level in the series. Part of me just wanted to be like "My spanish is good enough already. I can get around, have conversations, make friends etc." But I shook off that feeling and bought the program and made myself explore new levels of the language and I am so glad that I didn't settle where I was. Buying the third level of the series really gave me the ability to accent my language skills nicely and resulted in deeper, richer interactions with people while I was down there.

 Now with learning Japanese, I feel like I am in that place of humility all over again where I am starting at the bottom with the most basic level of skills. But I am glad that trying to tackle this language is helping keep me on my toes.  It is a humbling place to be and an awesome place to be at the same time.  Looks like learning the Japanese language and culture is gonna have me eating humble pie with my order of sushi......

So this is supposed to be my review of Rocket Japanese but truth be told, I have no idea where to begin. The Japanese languages has got just as many intricate and complex layers as the culture itself. Even the country Japan conjures images of peaceful shrines and snow capped mountains while at the same time is also a land of bullet trains, karaoke and high tech gadgets.

I'm not even sure at this point that I can review Rocket Japanese in one blog posts so I may have to branch out and do a series of blogposts related to this theme. I guess if I am looking for a place to start, I should start at the beginning. This is a language that I felt pretty excited to review because of my previous experience with other Rocket Languages products. No matter how difficult the language is reputed to be, Rocket Languages has somehow always finds a way to break down even the hardest of languages into something that is feasible and fun. And Rocket Japanese was no different.

Due to the complexity of the japanese language and culture, I decided to develop a learning plan for tackling this language. For those of you who aren't familiar, Japanese has 3 writing systems. The three writing systems are hiragana, katakana, and romanji. I decided for now to just focus on romanji and when I felt comfortable with that, I would then set aside a season and a time for tackling the other two writing systems.

What I love about Rocket Japanese is that with each unit, they also have grammar and cultural lessons as well. So you can actually create a plan on how you're going to map out your language learning. For now I've decided just to focus on doing the audio lessons with a sprinkle of cultural units on the side. I'm not planning a trip to Japan anytime soon so there is no rush to try and learn everything as fast as I can. The way that I see it, Japanese is a big beautiful steak that I can just cut into tiny pieces that is meant to be chewed and swallowed nice and slow (and perhaps washed down with a good dose of sake? LOL)

In true Rocket Languages style, you have your two hosts who take you through the program. For Rocket Japanese, our hosts are Kenny and Sayaka who led the way with humour and heart. Together the help you digest some of the more difficult aspects of Japanese grammar and culture. Bit by bit they help unravel the mysteries of this ancient culture and it is amazing how with just a few sprinklings of wit and wisdom, a language and a culture that once seemed foreboding is now friendly and feasible.

This may just seem like a very general review but in the coming weeks and months, I'll be updating you as my journey unfolds to learn this fascinating culture and language and will be able to give you more detailed blogposts on the technical aspects of what it is like to learn Japanese using Rocket Japanese.

Mata ne!

This summer I decided to experiment with some of the other popular products that Rocket Languages had available. Awhile ago I had actually purchased "Rocket French" but had never gotten around to using because at that time, my focus was on becoming fluent in spanish. Now that I'd achieved my goal of fluency, I was ready for a new challenge. So I couldn't think of a better way to make good use of my time other than to lie in the summer sun listening to Rocket French audio lessons on my ipod.

As for my consensus, I would have to say that Rocket French can be summed up in three words: fast, fun & funny.  French is a complex language. There is no doubt about it. This language has a notorious reputation for putting off potential language learners with it's multitude of irregular verbs and rules broken. As well as having words that are just as hard to pronounce as they are to read.  There is just no fast way to fluency with french.....or is there?  Rocket French proved that there is.

With your Rocket French hosts Marie Claire and Paul Martin, they take you on a journey that will navigate you pasts all the previous traps that ensnare language learners and take you on the fast track to fluency. In terms of grammar, you'll only learn what is relevant and what you will need to know for real life encounters in France or any french speaking country.

They take you through real life situations and only role play conversations that you can use practically. And while doing so, they've even found a little bit of time during each audio course to talk to you about french culture so that you walk away from each lesson with some travelling tips as well as a better understanding of the language itself.

Topics that they role play and cover are themes such as buying wine, going to the grocery store, booking a hotel room, taking the tram, meeting and greeting family, skiing on the french slopes and SO MUCH MORE!!!!!  And Paul's sense of humour throughout the entire course is an added bonus. Learning a new language is going to be work even with a course as simple and practical as Rocket French so it is important to keep things fun for the learner.  But the banter between Paul and Marie Claire certainly kept things entertaining and amusing throughout the entire course.

Rocket French will have you soaring as a language learner like those birds from the clip "Winged Migration" could be seen soaring over France. Although I spend a majority of my time in the latin american world, I never know where the journey of life will take me next. It is comforting to know that no matter where I go or whom I may encounter, there is a program out there like Rocket French that will put me on the road to fluency in a manner that is fast, fun & funny.

So for awhile now I have actually been shopping around for a 2nd language to dive into. I absolutely love foreign languages and with the success of learning spanish, I wanted to take on another one. And it is true, if you've successfully learned one language, it makes the rest of the ones easier. But I want to put to rest a very common myth about French, Italian, and Spanish. There is a common myth that once you learn one of them the other two are easy peasy. Yes and No.

If you are a native french speaker wanting to go to italian, then it would be true. The two languages are almost exactly the same. But spanish is different from french and italian, trust me...I tried to pick up french this summer through a great company called rocket languages. It is probably the greatest language program that is out there that will bring results for whatever language that you choose. French was so much more easier to remember and pick up after having learned spanish. Because my mind was used to conjugating the verbs and there are similarities between the two languages. But it is not what people are thinking that because I knew spanish, french would be a breeze. The pronounciation in french is vastly different from spanish and it has it's own specific challenges.

But why all this talk about languages all of a sudden? Because I've finally decided as of last nite that the next language I wish to tackles is one spoken in the land of the rising sun..............JAPANESE! What made me come to this decision is that I had been going to the rocket languages website and trying out some sample audio lessons. With each language that they offer, they will send you a 6 day sample course to see if this is something that you want.  Last nite I tried "Rocket Japanese" and it was a match made in heaven!

I then went to another website that I ADORE called "How to Learn Any Language" which is a fantastic site chock full of hints and tips on learning another language. It was made for language lovers for me and contains an individual profile of almost many language in the world and rates their difficulty, usefulness, popularity etc. You have to check this site out! It was really cool to see what the website had to say about learning Japanese and it gave me a realistic idea of the challenges I can expect as well as the benefits I would gain from knowing the language.

So another language learning adventure is beginning for me. With much luck, prayer, and determination, there is no doubt in my mind that I'll be bringing a little bit of "Little Tokyo" to Latin America :)

YES! I want to claim my free instant access to the Rocket Japanese 6 day Learn Japanese course ($27 value).

Your Name:
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 This video makes me want to take diving lessons! That would be such a cool experience to have :)






Creatively Complex

We have a NEW CHAMPION! The last time I wrote, I said that "The Circle of Life" performances were the reigning champions for having the most views and clicks. But it looks like there is another blogposts that has overtaken it in popularity.....

Taking a Stroll Down "Crackberry" Lane | Making the Same Difference

I guess smokin' "crackberry" really does pay!

Ok, I admit that I'm on a bit of a roll here and i'm finding that featuring popular blogposts is getting a little addictive. I'm going to limit myself to only one more blogpost for today or someone's gonna have to lock me in a dark room with NO computer LOL. The next one doesn't need much explanation except to say that I think this is evidence that our friends from Sesame Street are trying to keep up with the times

Sesame Street goes Google | Making the Same Difference

Image via Wikipedia

Wow! You guys sure loved that last blogpost on Alicia Keys! My stats are showing that a whole bunch of you out there just ate it right up the moment I posted it and are probably ready for seconds LOL I love your enthusiasm for the blogpost and I think that she is such a fantastic artist and very noteworthy. In response to the popularity of that post, I've decided to put up access to her YouTube channel as well as her twitter for your enjoyment when you visit this site.

That blogpost on Alicia Keys will certainly go down as one of the highest ranking blogs in terms of popularity. I love this day and age where I can have all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to measure stats and the popularity of a blogposts.

According to my feed stats, there is one blogposts who's popularity has yet to be outmatched on "Making the Same Difference". And it's funny because when I put it together, it wasn't anything deep or profound or something that I had worked on extensively. I didn't think much of it when I posted it at the time but the results where mind boggling. So simply click on the link below and see for yourself. Is this blogposts worthy of it's title as the reigning champion?  You decide.....

Live Performance of "The Circle of Life" by the cast of "The Lion King" | Making the Same Difference

Image via Wikipedia

Have you ever had a rare and beautiful moment where you are floating along thru life and then you stumble across a CD that you haven't listened to in a long time and you play it and something about it breathes life and energy into the room and the atmosphere? I had one of those unforgettable moments the other nite. While travelling, I have a number of CD's and DVDs on hand just in case I need a touch of familiarity while in a foreign country. A few nites ago, I was looking for something to watch or listen to and then I notice that i have this CD called "Alicia Keys Unplugged". So I decided to play the DVD of it and it turned out to be a spectacular treat.

This is a very special recording. You see, Alicia Keys and her team had been on the road 2 years doing these grand shows with loud music and blaring lights with massive audiences. As her tour started to close, she started to feel like she wanted to go back to her roots and do some kind of recording that was raw, stripped down, intimate, and organic. Back to the days where she would play in clubs with a broken down piano and small audience. She wanted to recreate that environment.

So she teamed up with MTV to come up with "Alicia Keys Unplugged" and just watching it gave a new meaning to the word "simple yet profound". What amazes me and what I think I can relate to is how much effort they went into rehearsing, stage design etc to actually create a feel that was organic and intimate yet still polished and professional. Just because something was simple does not mean that it is "plain".

As for the music, it was marvelous! There were moments that I just sat there and closed my eyes and let the soothing melodies lull me slowly into an oblivion. There are very few artists and recordings that you can simply turn on and watch or listen to that can create a sense of rapture and just for a few precious moments, whisk you away from the routine of your daily life and bring you into a whole other world.....
 
http://www.myspace.com/aliciakeys





Creatively Complex

So filmmaker Andrew Strugnell's trip to South America may be over but that has not stopped the flow and fun and funky video from this filmmakers! I am highly anticipating seeing the rest of his edited videos from his trip to Latin America but in the meantime, it looks like he's been busy creating some fine footage of some of New Zealand's best kept secrets. In this episode of the "Lexie and Andrew Show", they take you on a trip to Himatangi Beach. Take a tour with them as they reveal New Zealand to you like only locals could on this first episode of the "Lexie and Andrew Show".



Tango 2 the Moon

There once was a song by the late singer Aaliyah called "Age Ain't Nothin but a Number" And the title of that song has come to my head lately as we've been hearing about Abby Sunderland on the news and the troubles we had at sea. I first heard of Abby's journey briefly when I was in Argentina when it was announced that she would attempt to be the youngest sailor to try and circumnavigate the globe. I was on a journey of my own and so much was happening that I had little time to really focus on someone else's journey. So much was happening in so little time.

As you all know, the media has caught our attention of how Abby's boat Wildeyes was lost out at sea and for awhile there they didn't know if she was dead or alive. It is a tremendous relief to know that she is alive but unfortunately, her family has been coming under much criticism for allowing a daughter so young to go out on a boat.  It is interesting to note that if she had completed her goal, the same critics would probably be praising her and her family saying "We knew you could do it all along!" What happened to the girl out there was no fault of her own, it was a big wave. It was not due to lack of skill. And this had not been the first extended solo mission she ever had. She has plenty of experience.  And it had nothing to do with age, one can be 16 and be full of experience.

The reason why I am coming to Abby's defense is because I admire someone who will go after what is in their heart. I'm getting ready for an adventure of my own that offers little or no security and ALOT of uncertainties. And I truly appreciate people who believe in me from the beginning no matter what happens. If something happens to me down there, I don't need the talk "You were too young to be...." But some of you may protest that Abby is 16 and I am 30! There is a difference. For goodness sake, Jesus Christ was 12 years old when he was found preaching in the temple to astounded Rabbis!

And yes, we are thankful that it is only her journey that ended and not her life. In spite of all the negative media coverage, I want to honor Abby and her journey and the parts that she did do and the parts that she did cover. You and I wouldn't have the skills or experience to have covered a tiny fraction of what she did. She already is a winner in my eyes and I don't doubt that she will one day break records.

To stay positive and honor her journey, I'm now following Abby's blog and I've put it up on this site so you can click on it. I've also put a link to her direct website. As well you can follow her on twitter on this site.You know I've been looking for ways to make this site an interesting place to come and I can't think of a better way than to incorporate someone else's adventure.

Young people like me and like Abby who aren't afraid to take on the world and risk it all for a dream don't need negative criticism. You may be wondering what could possibly happen in the land where they play futbol and dance tango. On the other side of living in this wonderful city there are things that I have to keep in mind, like the fact that the traffic is so bad that accidents between cars and pedestrians claim the lives of 20 people per DAY in that city. These are things that go through my mind. As well I've had my own near hit and misses. Over here if a pedestrian is walking and they don't notice a car coming towards them, the car will slow down to avoid hitting them. In Buenos Aires if you don't see a car coming towards you, the driver will simply honk to warn you to get out of the way but continue to go at full speed. It happened to me once and I was happy that I got out of the way at the last minute.

There are other things that I could say but I don't want to breed negativity so I have to be very careful when bringing up the other side of Buenos Aires. And in the case of me and her, age is not a factor to whether something will or won't happen to us. It is a thing of circumstance.  I am all about positivity on this blogsite so I want to leave you hear with this video of her the day before she left on her long voyage as she talking about her onboard computer, route, weather conditions on her boat Wildeyes. Age ain't nothin but a number!

http://www.youtube.com/user/soloround




Creatively Complex

So it turns out that putting up some videos here at the site turned out to be a great idea. My stats are showing that people spending a little bit more time here at the site now that there is something more to do. I was thinking about what else I could add to spice things up a little. When I was in Buenos Aires, I had some friends of mine who bought a car in Chile and travelled in the car from Chile all the way down to Patagonia and then up to Buenos Aires. The timing that they reached Buenos Aires was perfect, it worked out that I got to spend my last two days of my trip with them. What a way to end!

One of the guys there is a filmmaker named Andrew Strugnell who  had all his equipment and had been filming and editing while they were on the road. He completed some videos while he was in the country but there are many more portions of the trip that he is currently editing as we speak. Part of that is my time in Buenos Aires with them. I cannot give away what that footage contains but believe me it will be well worth the wait.

I've decided to post one of Andrew's videos here. If you like the videos, you can click on the link and go straight to his Youtube channel. Or if you are on "Making the Same Difference", you'll notice that there is a youtube symbol on the tool bar. If you click it, it will take you to a cool 3D gallery of all his videos. Also on the sidebar where it says "labels", you can click "adventures" and it will pull up all my blogposts with his videos. The video that you will see below is footage of them in Chile the day that Piñera won the election

http://www.youtube.com/user/strugsnotdrugs



Creatively Complex

I remember first seeing this dance as one of the competition pieces on "So You Think You Can Dance". No one knew that when Melissa & Adye got up on stage that they would be performing one of the most moving dance pieces ever on the history of the show.  It still leaves me speechless ever time I see it.



Creatively Complex

I cannot have a blogsite called "Tango 2 the Moon" without putting at least one video of a spectacular performance of Argentine tango. Awhile back, world renown tango dancers Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo were competing on "Superstars of Dance". Here is the breathtaking performance that they did in the semi-finals.



Creatively Complex54

 Hope all of you out there like the jazzy new fonts that I've added to both this site and "Making the Same Difference". I really like the feel that the new fonts are giving my sites. It makes it feel like you are reading the journal entries and diaries of someone rather than what people have come to expect of a blogpost. Along with the new fonts and styles, I was thinking about things I could add on to this site here that would make it more fun and interesting to visit.

After giving it some thought, I've decided to add a few videos on here that were a real hit with others on "Making the Same Difference" those were in the early days so more likely than not, most people have not seen the videos. The first one here is called "Dolphin Bubbles" and it is about this incredible phenomenon where Dolphins are somehow able to create bubble rings to play with. Simply spectacular!



Creatively Complex

You know, life is funny. Some moments that you think are going to be memorable turn out to be unforgettable. And some moments that you were expecting to be mundane turn out to be the ones that you never forget the rest of your life. The other nite, I got overtaken by some of life's unexpected moments.  It would be a day I would never forget for as long as I live. Here is the story.....

The other day my ESL books finally arrived and I went to pick them up. Naturally, I was excited that to finally have them in my hand. When I got home, I thought that it would be a matter or glancing over them briefly to make sure all was in good condition and none were damaged. My plan is that I would skim through it, check the content, nod approvingly and then proceed to begin packing them into my suitcase. The last thing that I was expecting was the flood of emotions that would go through me the moment I cracked open the cardboard packaging that held my beloved books.

Sometime awakened within my soul as I held them in my hand, touching them, feeling them, skimming through them.  For those of you who know me well know that I do not get emotional easily. Do not expect me to cry while watching movies! And even when I do have emotions, I don't necesarily show them.  But this time I was caught off guard completely! It would take me sometime to gather myself and process what was happening and finally put it into words, the words you are reading right now. But I'll try and explain as bests as I can.

Main Entry: cat·a·lyst

Pronunciation: \ˈka-tə-ləst\

Function: noun

Date: 1902

1 : a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible
2 : an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action

This is the merriam webster dictionary definition for the word "catalyst".  I especially like the definition "an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action" That fits in perfectly with what I am feeling right now, that a catalyst has been created.  As I held some of those books in my hand, something clicked inside of me and I realized that what I was holding in my hand wasn't just books, but rather seeds for the future.  I had basically gone to Chapters book store, ordered a package of seeds that I will be planting in South America. Seeds that will grow into something amazing for generations to come and by bringing the english language to this school and this church, it would open doors for many people to have opportunities that in previous generations was only a dream.

The sun has risen...
A new day has dawned...
A new era has come...
And a new generation is born.

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So I actually had a checklist of things that I must do while in Victoria and I must say that I haven't done too bad. If you're from Victoria, you're probably going to laugh when you see what I had on my checklist. If you're not from Victoria, consider this your guide to all of Victoria's best kept secrets.

Breakfast at the Blue Fox Cafe.................check

Having an "American Idol Benny" at Floyds Diner.........check

Enjoying delicious home made ice cream from "Sweet Memories"...................check (it's the BEST place in Victoria to get hard ice-cream. The best part is that it is that it is local and they make the ice cream themselves)

Sipping a London Fog while looking out at the ocean at the Ogden Point Cafe after just having had a stroll on the breakwater............check

Downing a delicious organic pizza at "The Joint"..........check

Strolling thru Fisherman's Wharf, feeding seals and digging in to the best fish and chip's in town at "Barb's Fish and Chips"............half a check (I went there but the seals were having a day off. And I wasn't that hungry so I only ended ordering some fries. But I can't leave Victoria before having either some pieces of halibut or a halibut burger)

My checklist is looking pretty good eh? Is there anything that I absolutely cannot miss out on doing while I am here in Victoria. Voting polls are now open.......


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 Nov 15/09

No, the title in the subject line isn´t "Church of the Rock". I´m not trying to make any Christian connotations here. By the word "rock", I mean "rock and roll". There is a movie called "School of Rock" and it is about this guy who turns all the classes in this school into lessons on rock and roll. Well, as of last nite it appears that I am attending a church who loves rock and roll music. Let me explain...

The church is holding a free rock concert on Dec 5th right in the middle of Plaza del Congreso. The event is called Rock & Vida and it is also a concert to bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic and it is part of our fight against it. Last night there was a huge party in church to promote the event. What I will tell you is that I have been to church and church events my whole life and never seen anything like it. Again, it broke every stereotype of people´s idea of a church event.

The event started at 10 last nite and the entry cost 25 pesos. And I can tell you right now that the price was every bit worth it. The event was located in the church´s main building that is located just outside the main city. It is the building I described earlier in another email as being very basic, like a warehouse with the walls and floors being made of concrete.

It was like having an event in an old warehouse or a gym but one that has a stage. There was some games set up for kids and there were some decorations in place. There were also some stations where you could by juice, pop, or water all night long. Above us, someone had set up one of those spinning disco balls and there were colored lights and music and music videos playing on a screen above. The ambiance actually was more similar to a night club or a bar. But I had no idea what I treat I was in for.

I knew I was in for something special when all of a sudden, some girls who were cooking in the kitchen would come out every so often with plates of empanadas, mini pizzas and all kinds of treats. They would walk around the crowd and offer them while people were mingling. There was a guy and girl who were MCs who were overseeing the entertainment that would be going on all nite long.

It was a blast. It was beyond a blast actually! This church actually knows how to have a good time and they really like rock music. Maybe it´s because our pastor is a musician himself and is a fan of many of the groups that have shaped American pop culture such as the beatles. The entertainment began when someone turned on music from the 70's such as the Bee Gees "Staying Alive" while some guys danced in front of the whole crowd to that music.

Later that night there were some musicians that got up on stage and began to play. It looks like it´s 3 or 4 guys who all play bass and electric guitars and they did a jam and it was awesome. These guys were definitely very professional and very well versed in their instruments. Before the jam, each one of them did one those things where they make really hot noises and sounds with all the cords on their electric guitars. Then when they all jammed together, what can I say? It was one hot rock concert they were giving!

The type of music they were playing and they level of professionalism that they had is easily the kind of music that you find in a club or a bar. When it is friday nite, you want something to do and you hear that there is a gig in town. Or there is a hot club where you and your friends want to go for drinks and as you settle in, there is a band playing on stage.

More shows of talent that nite was when a girl got up and sang. She was dressed quite "Burlesque" from the era where I think they had "flappers" She sang some songs from that time period and it had a real broadway sound to it. It didn´t take a genius to hear that this girl is very far advanced as a singer. Her level is one that you expect to hear when you buy tickets to see a broadway show.

There were more acts and more fun that night. The MC´s had the crowd dancing to "Rock Around the Clock". Some musicians got up who I have seen do the church music for the services. They actually did a live version of the "Staying Alive" and it was awesome. As you can tell by now, the theme of that night was rock and roll. By the time the event was one, it was 2:30 in the morning.

Everytime I discover something about this church, I grow to love it more. The thing that I love most is that that this church has not fallen into the trap of being in a box. When it times to be serious and pray, we do that. When we want to make a difference in our city, we dive in with our whole hearts into the mission. And when it is time to have fun, we really have SERIOUS FUN!!!!

I love it that these musicians can totally get up and do spiritual song stuff on a sunday and then play "Staying Alive" and embrace pop culture and there is no religiousity about it. They don´t feel that just because they've embraced a faith that now they are limited to a certain kind of music or a way of doing things. The church fosters and encourages people in their craft and to do really well. I have never been in a church that are big fans of rock and roll music and pop culture.

Another thing that I am loving is that this congregation is making itself relevant to the people, and the city and the times. They are actively involved in the city and working tirelessly to bring hope and solutions to the people of Buenos Aires and the people of Argentina. Social work and social responsibility are part of the fibres that make up the church.

They don´t just sit in a building on Sundays with a fake smile, talking about how wonderful life is and how horrible those people who don´t go to church are while ignoring the pain and suffering that is going on in society. Or when confronted with people´s pain, they don´t stand on a soapbox and preach to others and throw Bible verses at them.

No, CCNV is a church that loves to get it´s hands dirty and make itself relevant to the people and the times. And it should be no surprise to anyone that I ended up in a church like that. People who know me, know that I am deeply spiritual. I am also a philantrophist who wants to use my life to make a difference. I am also someone who enjoys life and people and this playground called earth.

The laws of attraction dictate that we attract the things that are like us. All my friends know that one minute I could be in church or having a great spiritual experience, and then the next minute when that is done, I might get a call from a friend asking me if I want to hang out and have a drink (or maybe half a dozen drinks......let´s not talk about that) and I´d be like "Sure!!!!!!!" I am not in a box and it should be no surprise (keeping the laws of attraction in mind) that I ended up in congregation that has a similar mindset.

One of the greatest revelations I ever had as a person while back in Canada is that spirituality and philantrophy are tied together. If we claim that we've had some kind of great experience, encounter, or enlightenment, the greatest evidence of that is that our hearts should expand to want to reach out beyond ourselves and touch others. Because the very nature of love is that it goes beyond itself and ventures outward.

I will never understand people who spend all their time in church or people who seek spirituality and read lots of books and spend lots of time in meditation or at conferences and when I speak with them, they have no care for the world outside of them. If the basis of all belief systems is love, then logically the more time I spend with "God" or some higher being (whatever you want to call it), then the more I should feel love and a desire to expand beyond my world.

The relationship between rock and roll, spirituality and philantrophy is very interesting. We aren´t the only people that for us, rock and roll and social responsibilty are related. Bono, the lead singer of U2 has been campaigning for years and has been deeply involved in the area of fighting AIDS. When I got up this morning, got out a little book I had bought in Canada. It is called "on the move" and it has Bono´s speech at a prayer breakfast accompanied by photos of his first ever trip to Africa.

I know that this man has been criticized and accused of different things when it comes to his motivation for his involvement in the fight against AIDS. But reading that speech inspired me and there is no doubt in my heart that this man´s heart is in the right place. What should society prefer that he do? Sit around with his millions of dollars and talk about his luxurious lifestyle? After all, thats all a rock star is supposed to do right? Looks like Bono decided a long time ago to burn the box that society would try to put him in.

And because of that, millions in Africa will have a chance at a future :)


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Very interesting........I am sitting here starting my Sat. morning by looking at all the stats of my blog posts and see which ones are being read and clicked on. And the results that showed for "Making the Same Difference" came as a surprise to me. The results are in and the winner is.......Church of Rock!?  It was an article I did in my early days in Argentina as I was getting what was my very first introduction to the Argentine way of doing church (which breaks every stereotype of what we think of "church" in North America) As well it was the beginning of my involvement with the church's biggest event of the year.....Rock & Vida.

Rock and Vida is free rock concert that is completely sponsored and financed by the church. The purpose of this concert is to create awareness for AIDS and it's deadly affects.  The event is held in a public spot in the middle of Buenos Aires where any passerby can join it. And the church arranges for everything, from the artists who they have brought in all the way to the food vendors etc.

People continue to surprise me! This is the first time that I  have had any indication that one of my olders posts are getting any kind of popularity. So for your convenience, I've decided to feature the article here in "Tango 2 the Moon". If you want to know more about "Rock and Vida", go to my main website and where there is a list of labels near the top of the page, just click on the label that says "Rock and Vida" and it'll bring up every post that I've written that is on the theme of "Rock and Vida"

Have a great weekend!

www.rockandvida.com.ar

Here I am once again in awe of some of the recent events that have occurred in the last few days. It was as of last nite that I found out that the girl that I had been taking out and doing activities with through Big Brothers and Big Sisters has won a scholarship. What makes this even more significant is that I had involvement in this.     I got an email awhile back from her mom telling me about this opportunity for Rachel to win a scholarship.

Being from a single parent home, a scholarship would make such a difference. And what I had to do as her big sister is that I had to fill out a questionnaire and give all the reasons that I thought Rachel should be selected as one of the winners. Having a writing gift came in handy because I can say things eloquently. So in a clear and articulate manner, I wrote about how I felt that Rachel had strong potential as a future leader in our community and in our country. I wrote about the strength of character that I see in her and how much she has grown and that she has so much to give. I also tried to paint a picture of her home life as much as possible and the struggle of being from a single parent home and having hopes and dreams even while coming from a background where there is little resources.

As of yesterday nite, I found out that she indeed was chosen as one of the winners. Words cannot express what that moment was like for me. Especially knowing that i had a part to play in this. My time volunteering with Big Brothers and Big Sisters may be coming to an end but for Rachel, the journey is only beginning. I am glad that my time with her has left her with more than just good memories, it has actually left her with a scholarship that she use to build towards her future.

You know, I've had many great and exciting moments these past few months seeing my blogsites grow and grow.  And it did bring me a level of happiness and satisfaction. But even with seeing all the hits on my blogsites, my greatest moment of feeling success and happiness as a writer pales in comparison to how i felt when I got the news yesterday nite.  Because it was in that moment that I came to realize that my gift as a writer has done more than just entertain, provoke, and inspire. My gift with words and ability to articulate has paved the way for someone's future :)

http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca



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Phew! What a nite that was....going to see SC live at Sugar and then writing a blog all about it!  I had so much fun and it was awesome to meet the boys. I went to church with some of the boys many years ago but we all went in seperate directions and haven't seen each other in a long time.  It was great to reconnect with them abit before the show started. And it would be for me a new learning experience on playing the part of "PR" (public relations) for Santa Clara and attending a show just for the sole purpose of being able to make a blog all about it.

It was also my first time ever in "Sugar" lounge in Victoria, B.C.  I would say it's a fairly decent place. The band certainly had a nice setup where people could crowd around near the stage as they were singing. I learned many things that nite about blogging live coverage. I arrived at Sugar shortly before the doors opened and because of that, there weren't many people quite yet. Which turned out to be a good thing. That enabled me to grab a seat close to the stage where I could observe the boys properly.

The moment that SC struck the first cord, my mind became like a video recorder. I was observing everything, the crowd, the interaction between the band members and the audience as well as with each other. All these things that my mind would be processing and storing are information that I would need later on when I am in front of my computer creating a view of their set at Sugar.  Like I said, it was an absolute blast!  And Santa Clara's professionalism blew away my highest expectations. I feel really privileged to get to be a part of the journey that they are on by actively promoting them through my blogsites.

 I would really like to sit down and have lunch or coffee with they boys one day. Who knows? I think it would be really neat to do an interview with them and then have the interview posted on either one of my blogsites.  They have lots of interesting things to say.And on that note, I would like you all to know that the twitter feed I have coming into this site is Santa Clara's feed, not mine. I wanted to let you know of that change just so that you don't get confused.  The boys have plenty of great things to say so I really encourage you to sign up for their tweets. I can promise you that all their tweets are none less than interesting.