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Shantaram

The ancient Sanskrit legends speak of a destined love, a karmic connection between souls that are fated to meet and collide and enrapture one another. The legends say that the loved one is instantly recognised because she's loved in every gesture, every expression of thought, every movement, every sound, and every mood that prays in her eyes. The legends say that we know her by her wings - the wings that only we can see - and because wanting her kills every other desire of love.
The same legends also carry warnings that such fated love may, sometimes, be the possession and the obsession of one, and only one, of the two souls twinned by destiny. But wisdom, in one sense, is the opposite of love. Love survives in us precisely because it isn't wise.

You know how sometimes you look through your pockets and find maybe twenty bucks or something? I found a screenplay this morning in some stuff I was looking through. Forgot all about it. Have put all rough notes for last novel into a digital first draft. Still working on script about a homeless Asian woman. Kim. I have never read over my stuff and gone, wow is that ever good. Except in this case. The pacing and the dialogue in this Kim script is quite good.
I had some sad interactions with a woman here in Whistler when I first arrived. She is an amateur photographer. She has completely lost her life to drug addiction. I asked what she was doing to get her stuff out there. She said she wasn't ready to take that step. I couldn't relate at first. Now I can. I no longer intend to pursue anything other than the creative process. The quality seems to be improving.

InAccuracies

I didn't wear any Joker face makeup on Hallow's Eve because I didn't have time. I worked 7 hours at one job then went straight to a 12 hour shift at another job. Only had to raise my voice at one group of drunks. Apparently I can project menace after working with drunks for 18 hours straight.
Wee Wee the supposed First Nation spirit guy up in Pemberton is just one of the town drunks. I got that from several sources today. In an odd series of events I ended up sharing a cab in Pemberton with Wee Wee today. Didn't know it was him until he got out of the cab and the driver spoke ill of him by name. My life does that sort of thing to me sometimes.
I went up to the town to seek out info on my great uncle who was here years ago. I went into the Muni Office after going to the local churches to see what I could find. I asked the First Nations woman who is about my age if she could help me seek this history. She suggested a few things. I pointed to a photo on the wall in the office and said, There he is right there and did he ever let himself go when he came West. The woman laughed and explained that this was her grandmother in the photo. I, the descendant of a rep of Christianity in this region, had a good laugh with a woman who is the grand daughter of a victim of Christianity in this region. The irony was not lost on her. She knew exactly what I was thinking. They're very forgiving people. My great uncle was not involved in any atrocities against these wonderful people. I know this for a fact. Other reps of other Church groups did those things. A very interesting moment with this woman today.

This Week

This Week

Quantum Of Solace

Saw the new Bond film tonight. The theatre here had a special midnight first screening for us die hards. This is one of the most gorgeous pieces of cinematic genius I have ever had the privilege to observe. Go. Go. A thousand times, go see this movie. And can he ever fight.

Trixie The Rent-A-Pup

Whistler Animal Shelter has a thing where you go in and leave ID, sign a waiver, and take a dog out for a walk for the day. Me and Trixie here spent the day together today. Many humans would pay a fortune for the day we enjoyed. We hiked in the Rocky Mountains not far below the snow line. We both drank right from glacier fed streams. I haven't drank right from a stream like that since I was a kid.

Monsignor Calling

I got a call this morning from the Monsignor in this area. He knew my great uncle 'Wilf' for many years. It seems I'm not the only one in the family with a strong wanderlust. While he was priest in this area my great uncle played a very strong role in building the churches in some of the surrounding communities as well as Whislter itself. Wilf enjoyed carpentry and was involved in physically constructing these early buildings on top of his spiritual pioneer attempts with the First Nation peoples around here. I'm meeting the local Monsignor in the coming days for a chat. I'm hoping he has some photos of my great uncle I can scan and send to people.

We Spoke of Priestly Things

While in St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal one time http://www.saint-joseph.org/en_1007_index.asp I had the very strange experience of feeling an energy source of some sort coming from one area in side the church. My brother later explained to me that I was standing right in front of where they keep the heart of the man who founded this incredible cathedral. Not sure what I think of that. Seems a little pagan, no? While driving around Whistler in order to get a better sense of directions in the community to do my jobs I had the exact same sense of some sort of energy coming from a small church here. Yesterday I found out that my great uncle was the catholic priest at that church for a number of years.

Obama

So, is it OK for whites to start making jokes about black people now that the insanely charismatic Obama has been elected president of the US? 'Black people are so - enter amusing observation.' Mmmmmmmmmaybe, not, just, yet. You know who he has liberated? Caucasian Americans. Think on it. I read that Obama's single mom achieved a PHD while the family was on food stamps. Single mom on welfare and she gets a doctorate. Obama is talking about bringing stability to the US banking system, universal health care, doing away with capital punishment, better access to college education and not annihilating weaker nations on a whim. If he ends even one sentence with 'Eh?' we'll know he's a closet Canadian.

Singapore Sling

A friend from my ESL days in Japan is getting married in Singapore in the coming months. I will be attending the wedding. HAMmered! Genetically incapable of moderation in that regard, unfortunately. Zero tolerance is the only option for booze. I hear good things about meth. Would you like to be my date at the wedding?