We took a short trip down south on Saturday.
We got stuck in a long wait at the border, which was a bit startling because I use the least used border crossing – the Aldergrove/Lynden border.

I haven’t used the Peace Arch crossing in years, so I’d gotten used to short waits (ten minutes at most) at the border.

On Saturday we waited for over an hour, it was nice and sunny, but there was no reprieve from the heat out there on the country road.
On a positive note; I had my camera, iPad and phone as distraction so the wait didn’t feel as long, except I really had to pee.

The ride through the farms is so beautiful and peaceful, and the bluest sky… oh my!

I just recently started crossing the border using my Enhanced Driver’s Licence even though I’ve had it for over a year.
It makes crossing the border a snap and I spend less time being interrogated than when I use a passport.

The plan was to make it back home in time for lunch, but that didn’t pan out.

We rushed through the usual locations but barely managed to be back home by dinner time.

Coming back, I shot a video of the farms on the way, I’ve always been fascinated by them.

The music is Mamadou Et Bineta by Meiwey, a beautiful song from his M20 album.

I also saw K’NAAN live at the Orpheum as part of the Cultural Olympiad last February.

It seems like ages now and I’m not sure I remember every awesome detail about the show.

When I first got K’NAAN’s sophomore album Troubadour – I listened to it again and again.

“Wavin’ Flag” soon became one of my favourites, I had it on repeat, and knew it was going to be a hit.

I was excited at the chance to see him live.

The show at the Orpheum was great and thrilling, the atmosphere electrifying.

He and his band were incredible!

“Waving Flag”

The set was inspiring and� fun – the crowd danced and sang along to all the songs.

Almost everyone in the crowd sang along to the choruses.

He did an extended freestyle version of “Wavin’ Flag,” where he gets into a little bit about his life.

There were a lot of actual flag waving too being that it was during the Olympics and folks were feeling rather patriotic.

“Waving Flag” Freestyle

My favourite part of the show was “Fatima”

He had us all sing along to the chorus, it was moving, but in a totally fun and stirring way.

More pictures…

“That’s Exactly How I Feel…”

This was the first time hearing this song, it’s not on the Troubadour album.

I’m not even sure what the ‘official’ title is but I really like it.

This is what a wore for the concert;

Diesel jeans, J Crew tank, purple Uniqlo shirt, a brilliantly thrifted Alexander McQueen jacket and Clarks shoes.

The necklace is from Foxy Originals although I love it so much I’ve decided it’s my personal crest.

I fell in love with a Tuareg man once, a Kel Tamasheq who called me his Tamedrayt (sister).

He had beautiful kind eyes, a wide smile and the smoothest gorgeous skin

I was in awe of him, I’d listen to him talk about this striking, vast and arid land he came from.

A land so colourful, harsh, beautiful that the sun shone so bright it sparkled into the horizon.

He’d speak of his people; strong, proud warriors who loved the land and the freedom to roam it.

I cried the day he left, big sad heaving tears; he wiped them away smiling and said

“Aah… Tamedrayt, One of these days you’re going to love something so precious you wouldn’t be able to trust yourself with it”

I smile through my tears. I, of course didn’t understand what he meant then.

I mentioned this to my therapist; that I believe the Kel Tamasheq man was the love of my life.

She thinks I’m romanticizing again, and a little surprised… “love of your life?, really? – What about the potential French husband”

“Have you considered life living on the desert?” She asks

I ask her if she knew� the Tuaregs were matriarchal.

It’s the men who wear the veil, not women.

I could have been a matriarch; I would have been revered…

Video 1

It was he who turned me on to Tinariwen and they’ve since become one of my favourite bands.

I saw them live for the first time back in February as part of the cultural Olympiad.

There were incredible, like everything I expected.

Their songs are a mesmerizing trance-like mixture of blues, rock and punk set to African rhythms.

Their sound has been described as desert blues, Afro rock, indigenous rock and roll and everything else in between.

Video 2

Their songs evokes magical places I’ve only dreamed of.

Songs that make melancholy sound beautiful, hauntingly beautiful words I don’t understand.

If you ever get a chance to see them live, do it! They are awesome!

I hurried home from work on Friday to catch the opening ceremony of the 2010 Paralympics on TV.

It was a lovely and inspiring show; I look forward to the next two weeks

The Paralympics are going to be a mellow and calmer affair than what the Olympics were

I’m sure this image has been making its round on the internet.

The boss sent this in an email; the first picture is Granville Street on the last day of the Olympics and the one beneath is Granville Street a week later.

Pretty amazing huh?

One other thing to come out of the Olympics is this video for Haiti recorded in Vancouver during games.

A group of Canadian artists dubbed Young Artist for Haiti recorded K’naan’s Wavin’ Flag.

Proceeds from the song will go to Free The Children, War Child Canada and World Vision Canada.

Here’s where you go to find out more about getting the single and contributing towards a worthy cause.

PS: I have a picture and video heavy post coming soon from the K’naan concert last month.

I’m having a bit of Olympics withdrawal, which is awkward because I’m one of those people who didn’t want the Olympics in this city to begin with.

Year on and year on, I developed a passionate aversion to the idea, as over a 1001 incidents convinced me that the games were wrong for the city.

I started coming around during the torch relays, people were energized, spirits soared and the games were inevitable.

By the time the torch reached Vancouver, I’d moved on to being a little excited.

And the rest… well… is history!

And while I wouldn’t want games back, I miss the euphoria and general happiness that surrounded it.

Life was a giant party then, and even going to work felt great.

On Monday (day after the closing ceremony), I got home from work, ate and rushed out again eager to capture… something…perhaps an afterglow?

It all seemed so quiet, the people were gone, the lines were naught and there were no cheers to be heard.

There were a few people, probably like me, walking around with a look of confused familiarity – like they remember when it used to be like this – but it was so much better yesterday.

Below are a few of the first of my ‘Olympics’ pictures, I’m still wading through them…