Produce Preservation Primer and Tips

If you know me at all, you know that I love food. Growing it, cooking it, eating it, and, preserving it. I recently wrote up a wee document for a local gardening magazine (I'll link the article when it's published). I thought I'd share the write up here. 

I love preserving produce! It means I can taste the local flavours of our region in the middle of winter, while not relying on far away grown produce from the grocery store that has tons of plastic, metal and paper packaging. By preserving local foods in the summer you are supporting a vibrant local farm economy and in turn saving a ton of money throughout the year (especially if you’re able to forage some blackberries for your freezer and buy bulk tomatoes from a local farmer for making your canned tomatoes with!) The benefits are bountiful!

These are my go to ways of preserving the season’s bounty, in order of simplicity (i.e. easiest and least amount of time to more difficult / most amount of time).

Freezing
Most fruit and veggie crops you can simply put in a plastic bag and freeze! Blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb, blackberries, applesauce, tomatoes, zucchini and most other fruits can simply be frozen from fresh. Vegetables like chard, kale, beans, peas, corn, herbs can be blanched (vegetables are placed in boiling hot water for 1-3 minutes depending on veggie, then dunked in ice water to stop the “cooking” of the veggies – it stops the enzyme action and preserves the nutrition, taste, texture of the veggie).
Tip: Don’t wash your produce if it’s clean and organic. The extra water creates lots of ice, and what seems to be “freezer burn”. If you do need to wash the produce, let it dry as much as posisble before freezing.
Tip: In my opinion, blanching is not necessary. I’ve done some research and experimentation and I find the texture is just fine whether I blanch or not. And most sources say if the frozen food is consumed within 6-12 months that the nutrition composition isn’t that much different than the blanched veggies.
Tip: Label and measure the volume or weight of produce  you put into the freezer. It’s fun to compare from year to year what you’re freezing, and also helps you know how to plan for years to come so that you have, say, your daily breakfast blueberries for the whole year! It also helps you to know whats tucked in the back of a freezer.
Tip: For best nutrition and textural quality, try to use up all your fruits and veggies in a freezer within a year of it being frozen.
Tip: Freeze in plastic containers (like yogurt tubs), or re-use old bags from things you buy at the store. The thicker the bag, the less chance of freezer burn. Try to remove as much air out of the bag as you can before freezing your produce, this reduces the chance of freezer burn. 

Dehydrating
I love dehydrating things! There are many ways to dehydrate including on old window screens, making a solar dehydrator, laying fruits and veg on an old bed sheet outside, using your oven, using a car dash board, or using an electric dehydrator. It’s often as simple as cutting up produce and laying it on a tray.
Tip: For herbs like mint, chamomile, lemon balm, raspberry leaves, chickweed, nettles, calendula, tulsi, lavender, basil, sage, chive flowers, use old window screens to lay the herbs out on. Place the screen in a place with good ventilation and cover the herbs with a big piece of an old paper bag to protect from direct sunlight. Check on them every couple days, and place them in a jar when it’s all dry for later use!
Tip: For almost all fruits and veggies (think, tomatoes, zuchinni, chard, broccoli, kale), you can place them (cleaned, cut and sliced in a uniform size) on electric dehydrator trays and dry ‘em up for future use. They also make great additions to meals on camping trips. Your food volume will decrease significantly in the dehydrator.
Tip: Dehydrating concentrates flavours – e.g. a dehydrated apricot, plums or herbs, are so full of flavour and a little goes a long way in cooking throughout the year! I like making a homemade soup stalk with a whole bunch of dehydrated herbs (cilantro, chives, basil, parsley) and then I add salt, nutritional yeast, and seaweed to the mixture once it’s dry. It makes a fantastic mid-winter soup stock.
Tip: Make sure your produce is completely dry before putting it into a jar. Leftover moisture can bring in mold and bacteria. Not what you want!
Tip: Save up old silica packets from store bought foods, and place them in your jars of dehydrated produce. This will absorb any moisture that may get into your jar as you use it over the season.
Tip: Borrow, or rent (from the Victoria Tool Library) a food dehydrator. They are dreamy! I dry soooo much food, and it’s all because I have a few people I know who are able to lend me their dehydrator for a couple weeks at a time (in exchange for some dried goodies of course!)

Fermenting
Ohhhh the benefits of fermenting are endless! Yes it is a preservation technique, plus you are actually increasing the nutritional value of your produce by fermenting it. It’s a genius way to preserve the bounty, and support your gut microbiome through adding beneficial bacteria to your diet. Fermenting also increases the vitamin and enzyme content of your food, and makes it mighty tasty! The particular bacteria that grow in the fermentation conditions (i.e. no oxygen, salty environments) preserve the food by out competing any bad food spoiling bacteria that tries to get in!
Tip: Check out my favourite book for simple DIY fermenting recipes: Sandor Katz’s Wild Fermentation.
Tip: Start by making a basic cabbage sauerkraut, then experiment from there with fermenting all sorts of things.
Tip: It can feel empowering to attend a workshop first on fermentation basics to get a grip on the how-to’s. Places like the Compost Education Centre and the Greater Victoria Public Library offer accessible 2 hour long workshops on fermenting basics!

Canning
I first learned how to can at my Granny’s house. My family were all farmers, and they preserved the bounty of summer in hundreds of jars that they would store in the root cellar of the farm house of southern Ontario. Still a very popular mode of preserving produce, hot water bath canning involves using sterile jars, filling them with high acid or high sugar foods (the vinegar/ lemon / sugar act as a preservative) and immersing the jars into a big old pot of boiling water for a specific amount of time (usually between 10-20 minutes). This method of preservation locks out oxygen and bacteria from growing on your food. It’s great for things like fruit jams, jellies and compotes, relishes, pickles, tomatoes, salsa, ketchup and sauces. Pressure Canning is another way to can foods. It requires more specialized equipment (i.e. a pressure canner) and is mostly used for canning things that have fat or meat in them (think soups and stews).
Tip: Read some books or blogs, meet up with a friend who already knows how to can, or take a workshop to ensure you get it right (like at the Compost Education Centre!). Things need to be clean and done properly so that your food doesn’t spoil!
Tip: Make chutney – gee I love chutney…apple pear chutney for cheese and crackers, with Indian food, on rice, on potatoes directly in your mouth. YUM!
Tip: Make compotes! They are so easy! They don’t require pectin, often require less sweetener, and you can do it without a recipe once you get canning comfy.
Tip: Discover Pomona’s Pectin for canning fruits. It is a special no additive pectin that requires you add such little sweetener! Makes for healthier, but still preserve safe goodies!

Have sooooo much fun in the process of preserving. It’s an age old technique that has been employed by cultures all over the world forever, before we could refrigerate, and before we could ship foods from hot climates to colder ones in winter. Get in touch with history J And enjoy that strawberry jam in the middle of winter!

Getting the cabbage ready to ferment into sauerkraut!

Expressions of Hawaii and Returns to the Island

I'm writing from a popular beach spot in Maui, Baldwin, near the hip town of Pa'ia, on this my last day in Hawaii.

Sea Turtle and Rainbows at Baldwin Beach

I've been curious throughout this journey, and even before the journey, how it would feel to return to Victoria. Now nearly on the brink of that return, I'm still curious. It's been 7 weeks away from my community, my home, my work. But honestly 7 weeks still seems short. I've been on travel stints that have lasted happily longer then 2 years. But, this time is different. I actually have a home to return to. In the past I've easily moved out of houses and quit jobs to seek adventure, and this time, I have roots to go back to. People who are looking forward to seeing me, and me them. I have a garden to tend to and a kitchen stocked to create in. I have people to hug and a bed to sleep in. Rather then a fresh start, I have fresh perspective. I am healthy and sun kissed, well and full of fresh citrus, mangoes and avocados. I hold excitement for 2018 and for a continued life on Vancouver island and all that may continue to unfurl - like a banana leaf slowly uncurls to flutter preciously in the wind, until it  becomes frayed with time, turns brown and falls off, with another sweet tube just so ready to uncurl and continue the growth process.

This journey has been refreshing. Fulfilling, and enjoyable. It's not been transformational or shape shifting like some of my other travels most certainly have been...but it's been satisfying. Enough time away to make the preparations feel worth it, to make the 'miss' I feel for my people and places at home tender, but not painful. And I like that this journey happened at a normally dark and inward time of year. When the garden hasn't missed me and I haven't missed the best Canadian camping weather. It's happened at the time of year when I like to make intentions for the year ahead, reflect on the year that was, and foster satisfaction. It felt great to do that from warm places, from new places, from places that easily remind me what I like and don't like about my life. When I adventure, I step outside of my norm, and I'm aware of what I miss, and more importantly, what I've been missing. Travel is a catalyst for recognizing what would make my life better and where I need to grow. Thank the spirits I have the privilege of travel.

The wild Waipi'o Valley

Hawaii has been a super sweet dancey sing songy note to end this adventure on. I was met by fantastic travel buds on the Big Island. These friends (one from Victoria, one Maui, one Germany) were a likely bunch of adventurers who inspired the Hawaii leg, so I knew I was in for a treat. We camped our way all over the North Western side of the Big island, with my favourite being the wild and rugged Waipi'o Valley. Steep lush green cliffs rising on either side of a stunning flowing fresh river valley. A wild beach reminiscent of those of the west coast of Cascadia...appealing for the compelling power of the waves and rush of the sand underneath, but a place I'd be unlikely to go swimming for the power of the great 'Mama O'. We journeyed up to Mauna Kea, a sacred and now dormant volcano, that has mega telescopes littered all over the summit. For years this mountain has been a space of indigenous resistance to observatory/telescope development. The Hawaiian people want to preserve their sacred Mauna Kea for the special place that it is, both spiritually and ecologically. 

Our beauty campsite at Waipi'o Valley; My camp buddies Heidi and Iris

Me, Iris, Heidi, Jim, at some magic waterfalls and deep pools that I climbed up (and they kept going!)

The sacred Mauna Kea Summit, with fallen snowy calderas in view

Between beach stops and look out points, snorkelling and swimming, we stopped in at the Pu'ukohola Heiau (translates to temple on the hill of a whale). A Heiau, as I understand it, is a Hawaiian temple; some are spiritual sites, others war zones, and others yet were meeting places. All are considered sacred by Hawaiians. The Pu'ukohola Heiau was made of huge stones, all intricately stacked to create a sacred space for the highest caste people to come. It was completed  in 1791 by many strong people (moving red volcanic rock by hand along a chain of humans 14 miles long!) under the famous King Kamehameha. It is a luakini heiau, meaning that it is a sacraficial temple, and ultimately King Kamehameha's cousin was summoned and sacraficed for the official dedication of the temple. Though I'm definitely no history buff, it was neat to be there, and learn a bit about Hawaii's history. Heidi was great to be with, living on Hawaiian land for 20 years, she has done her research. She can pronounce Hawaiian words properly, knows a good deal of history about the islands and is tuned into the current cultural scene for indigenous Hawaiians. She is equally abundant with enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge, and it proved interesting to have a more in depth understanding of some of the places we were visiting. Oh, and she brought fruit. Yum, she brought delicious, nutritious, local Maui grown fruit for us to enjoy the whole week we were on the Big Island!

While I so loved our wild camping spots (the last one with some spectacular humpback whale sightings) I also totally appreciated some of the sweet little colourful unique down to earth towns (such as Honokaa and Hawi) we stopped in on our adventures. Void of big box or otherwise recognizable store names, there was charming independence found in the cafes, gift shops and grocery stories.

Whales weren't the only wildlife we saw! There were many (cute and quick) marmots! They'd bolt across the road, rushing from tall grass to tall grass, or peak their head out from around a rock on a trail. 

Look! A whale! 2 o'clock! 

We also had the opportunity to get on a boat. The quirky driver quickly noticed the playful spinner dolphins that surrounded our boat. After many a collective oooh and awwww observing their spiral jumps and dances, we carried on under the setting sun to go on a night snorkel adventure. Not only did we see plenty o' fish under the sea, but we also held onto a floaty board thing that had LED lights on the bottom. These lights attract plankton. These plankton are eaten by mega manta rays! Though the water was cold and I was struggling to maintain the floating, still, superman posture that's required so not to scare the 5-7 metre long manta rays, I did really enjoy their swoopy dance as they came in to scoop up the plankton that we had attracted. What an experience!

After the Big Island adventures I flew with my friends on a tiny 8 seat commuter plane to Maui. (Yes, carbon debt, I know. I'm going to offset my plane trip. Anyone know the merits of these folks?) My last week of adventuring was spent on Maui, in Jim and Heidi's wonderful world. They so generously welcomed me into their brightly lit high ceiling cottage, and there we ate yummy food, slept cozy at night and practiced yoga in the mornings. By day, we adventured to Secret Beach, Little Beach, Mckenna Beach, Baldwin Beach and we snorkeled at Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, where park staff made the effort to talk to every visitor and stress the importance of not standing on corals, and not entering the water if you have toxic sunscreen on. Only sunscreen with zinc or titanium as the medically active ingredient were safe for reef ecology. Any oxy toxy, paraben faraben mumbo jumbo in your sunscreen, and you're polluting the water and contributing to the demise of the Hawaiian coral reefs. The one we snorkeled at was apparently the only thriving reef left on Maui... Not only did we beach hop, suntan and swim with the awe inspiring sonar sound of the whales and dolphins under the water, but we also hiked. To Heidi's local waterfall spot, a nearby forest reserve, and along the dry Lahina coast, looking over the turquoise blue waters of the ocean. Ohhhhh geez, and we paddle boarded! Um, I am now a huge fan. Who do I know in Victoria who owns one? Can I borrow it all the time for lake and ocean fun! Heidi and I giggled and laughed as we paddled (it kinda felt like we were walking on water) alongside sea turtles, and attempted to surf a top our boards. It was fun, and my muscles had enjoyed it as well. 

Oh I love these silly souls. Jim and Heidi and I at the beach, all upside down

Other outrageous fun had was dancing and singing and circling! West African dance, Ecstatic Dance, Dance Church (amazzzzing and with the popular DJ Human Experience, who I know well from hearing his tunes at my local ecstatic dance event, Dance Temple). Maui has quite the dance scene and I just loved dancing in a new place, with new faces. It was juicy and fun! I sang Kirtan at a concert/gathering and sang songs aloud with my friends. I also was welcomed by Heidi to share in the very special experience of the double circle. A meeting of different generations: equal numbers of elder woman, meet to share ceremony with an equal number of younger women. What a sweet opportunity to listen and be listened to, and be reminded of the experience and wisdom of elders, and the importance they have in communities! And what a sweet opportunity to get to share more intimate time with my friends Heidi and Jim. I've spent time on hikes and camping adventures with them here at home in Victoria, but to be with them so much over the course of two weeks was a real pleasure, to deepen into knowing them, witnessing them in relationship to one another, and to really feel so drawn to Heidi as an awesome amazing sister friend. I am so very excited to welcome her to Victoria when she relocates here.

And speaking of amazing welcomes. I was welcomed home warmly by my sweetie. When a vehicle wasn't borrow-able to pick me up from the airport, he met me at the bus stop with a homeade muffin in his pocket, and my bicycle strapped to his bicycle. He strapped on my luggage and I hopped on my bicycle dream, and off we went to catch up after a couple weeks apart. The welcome has been warm from other friends as well, and I look forward to more catch ups in the coming weeks. While the rain that is falling is cold, I feel warm back inside my cozy room, where I'm finishing writing this. I'm going to keep noticing, trying to be aware, of how it feels to call this place home, this city Victoria, on unceded Lekwungen Territory. To be satisfied with all that is, and strive to bring even more harmony and joy into my life here. 

Garbage collecting in Malaysia

During my time in Malaysia and Singapore, I collected my non-recyclable non-compostable waste. I did this to challenge myself to create the least amount of waste possible while travelling. This is difficult in Asia where tap water isn't safe to drink and food often comes with bundles of packaging...where you have to get good at rogue composting and definitely not assuming that you will be able to recycle something, cause I'm all likely hood you will not be able to.

The photo is what I ended up with at the end of ten days. Mostly some snack food packaging and dental floss, some disposable utensils too. Oh I wish this could be an empty photo. Travelling is the hardest time to be sustainable for me. But by navigating language barriers and asking folks to put food in my container, and by investing in a good water filter, I was able to really avoid a lot of disposables. How do you reduce your consumption levels?

Tales from Down Under

The Christmas Tree! We arrived on xmas eve fresh from Singapore/Malaysia

The Headlands near Bermagui - Camel Rock - Southern Coast of New South Wales

Two sistars by a stellar sea arch

Hiking in the Highcountry of Australia - the Snowy Mountains

Fresh hidden water gems everywhere!

The Crew!

James and Kayla enjoying life at the hottest Sydney restaurant...if only I could remember the name...

Yep, a movie screen that slowly came out of the water, as we watched from shore, over the harbour!

The completion of the Australian chapter of my 7 week adventure has closed and I've intentionally tumbled into my closing chapter in Hawaii. And Hawaii is fantastic!- but first I'll share some sweet highlights from Australia.

The Aussie chapter started with a familiar feeling-airport greeting with my sister. She and I have lived in separate countries for maybe 10 years now, and we are lucky enough to have had the privilege of having visits often; so the airport hellos and goodbyes are familiar. This one was special, my sister and brother in law were welcoming me and my sweetie (whom they have never met) to their beachside home for three weeks over Christmas and New Years. 

We arrived to a warm-ish summer day, and a completely tidy and stocked apartment, complete with a Christmas tree (a decorated branch from the headland National Park area that they live beside), cupboard full with bulk foods, counters brimming with market fruit and veg, a neatly made guest bedroom, and a fridge full of celebratory bubbly bevvies. My sister and brother in law are such amazing generous hosts, and they were very excited to have us there, which felt so nice.

It was good to be home! In my sisters beautiful home! 

Christmas was full of epic delicious food consuming marathons, beach running, yoga mornings and smooches with my sweetie. We spent the week after Christmas adventuring. We headed down to Tua's parents place on the New South Wales coast, a popular holiday spot, but super chill vibes, as there are enough locals to outnumber the holiday goers. We checked out some beautiful sea stacks and headland walks, spent time in town at the bulk food/health food store, and went kayaking on the lake that they live closest too (with its extremely abundant jellyfish, we were unwilling to fall out!)

From Bermagui, we ventured onwards to the Snowy Mountains, otherwise known as Kosciuszko National Park, and also known as the Aussie Alps. While they certainly aren't as tall as the Alps (Mount Kosciuszko is the tallest mountain in Australia at just 2228 meters above sea level.) The park is at an elevation enough to yield the best ski conditions in Australia and cross-country skiing & camping is a favourite activity of some Australians in this park. Since it is summer now in Oz, we were treated to the high country feels of relatively barren landscapes, save for the stunning carpet of multicoloured flowers that pop up everywhere on this landscape of bogs, braided streams, (invisible until up close because of the built-up squishy flora that is the ground we walked across). Actually, it's quite a stark landscape, full of ancient looking gum trees that have remained standing even though they have died in forest fires. The result is twisted silver coloured standing relics of a forest that once was. Errie at times really. 

In traveling to the snowy mountain area, I'm reminded of my appreciation of what my friend calls the high country at home on Vancouver Island. A landscape that is unique and more vulnerable to variable weather then lower elevations. One that has a brave and hardy ecology that can withstand the climate of higher elevations. It's special, unique and different than where people generally live. I'm inspired to get back out to the high country this summer at home on Vancouver Island.

After our time in the snowy mountains, we rang in the new year and celebrated Kristas birthday by going to a yummy Sydney restaurant and cruising around downtown. 

In the first week of January, while scheming and dreaming about what I want to manifest in 2018 James and I had another camping trip. This time we made use of the interconnected rail system around Sydney, and we camped in the Blue Mountains. Later that week we had quite an entertaining camping expedition with Krista in the mix as well in the Royal National Park. This one again made use of the well-designed rail system to get out to the trailheads, where we hiked camped and hike on out to another train station! Brilliant low impact camping no car required. Both trips were super special and super unique. The Blue Mountains aren't the blue hued giants poking up from the earths crust that you might imagine. More truly the region is a massive canyon. We hiked down, down, down, beside waterfalls and along rivers, around unidentifiable snakes and plenty of sneaky lizards, into the Blue Gum forest, a preserved patch of old growth gums that we camped near, along with thousands of extraordinarily loud cicadas. Eating dinner with earplugs in was a first for me! Lucky for us, they sleep at night. Unlucky for us, we were hiking along (at first unknowingly) in a light mist of mysterious liquid, soon we were told it's the urine of these cicadas. Ha! In the hot Australian sun, we hiked up the red soil back up and out of the canyon. A really sweet adventure with a really sweet man. 

Our adventure into the Royal National Park was full of deep belly laughter, dry waterfalls, and wet ones too, massive lightning strikes and rumbling thunder, waterbeds and delicious nougat (pronounced new-ga in case you were curious ;) 

My time with my lovely sister, my caring bro in law and my beloved James finished up with some rad city events. In their typical generous fashion, Tua bought the four of us tickets to the Green Day Rock Opera in none other than THE Sydney Opera House! Little known fact, I used to be a massive Green Day fan, so I found myself singing along enjoyably to every song. 

We also went to an amazing Asian food restaurant in a trendy area of town before an epic theatrical variety show by a crew of Irish artists who said it like it is. It was a part of the Sydney festival, an annual showing of talent from across the world. 

Top this off with an awesome picnic and movie in the botanical gardens overlooking the Sydney harbour bridge and the opera house, I felt like a well oriented Sydney-sider! James and I took Krista and Tua to a Rising Appalachia show, to give them a dose of hippy, and the following day we had the pleasure of participating in a voice and movement workshop, with the sisters who are behind this rootsy activist number.

Sydney for me was punctuated by great runs along the ocean, great food consumed, great swims at various beautiful (stunning!) tropical beaches. Unfortunately, my dear one succumbed to a virus which kept us from adventuring together that last week, a sad thing, but also just what was. I have great faith that there are many more adventures to be had with him.

I boarded the flight to Hawaii after teary and smiley goodbyes with my sister. She took some precious time off work to hang with me on my last two days and we had fun duking it out with the Sydney winds! I'm so grateful we have another visit to look forward to, another time for us to connect woman to woman, sister to sister. Endless amounts of gratitude going to Krista and Tua here, for their generosity and care toward both James and I, and for the way they so openly welcomed both of us into their lives for our time in their home. And endless amounts of excitement that the 5 week adventure with James was completely enjoyable. We got along well, navigating all the ups and downs of travel in foreign lands. I'm so confident in our ability to travel with one another, and I look so forward to many adventures to come. 

K, better get back to that Hawaiian sun!

Malaysia Memories

Birthday picnic at the top of Mount Brinchang

Satisfied Birthday hikers

Rainforest canopy walkway in Tanam Negara!

James looking not so big in front of this grandma rainforest tree

Typical view of a valley of tea plantations in the Malaysian Cameron Highlands

The Petrona Twin Towers in sprawling Kuala Lumpur

Typical Cameron Highlands view

My 31st birthday was passed pleasingly in the wilderness of the cool (by Malay standards) Cameron highlands. After a breakfast of my treasured home made granola, lovingly prepared before leaving Victoria, James and I were fueled up and packed some picnic lunch fixings for a hike up mount Brinchang. Our confused start didn't last long, as we soon found ourselves on a well marked trail through dense and mysterious jungle, full of plants only recognizable to me because they resemble some of my indoor house plants back home! We wandered our way for hours on a trail where we saw not another human, by where we continuously commented on the variety, abundance, and complexity of life in the Malaysian jungle. The forest floor is a mat of small and large roots from all the plants that create an intricate web of support for one another's existence. Because there is continuous leaf fall from the plants in tropical climates (instead of the autumnal leaf drop many of you are used to in more northern climates) the forest floor is continuously blanketed with organic matter-it is so thick that each footstep feels cushioned and you can see the floor rebound at the relief of your weight as you take your next step. If any forest is good for your joints, this is the one! And every forest is good for the soul. I felt so recharged as we trod through this forest-scape of thick vines, tropical big mama trees, banana an bamboo stands. It appears as though this forest grows from the ground up, and the sky down, as plants vining up others return down to re-root an start their journey skyward again. We passed over streams and waterways with sand and boulders being carved away by the sharpening action of the monsoon rains, with greenery creating little archways around said stream, it feels as though you are in a secret fairy garden. Like some magic forest creature will peak at you from around the next green dripping vine. As though the little fairy spirits live under the safety of the green canopy, and travel down the tunnel created by these plants to visit other forest spirits.

Ah yes, sweaty we were when we reached the top! We continued on our decent into the famous tea growing area of the Cameron highlands. The intricate plantings and prunings making all the hillsides appear as a honeycomb network from above. We wandered our way by the weekend traffic attempting to get to the tea shop to sample some tea, an we sat our weary bums down for a cup ourselves. Average tea I'd say, though I'm a bit of a green tea snob, so I'll admit I may be a bit tough on the Malay tea growers...

Our journey continued as we hitched a ride with a friendly couple back into town as the rain started to fall, hard, and we feasted on some tasty Indian food for birthday dinner (and at 6 Malay Ringet per plate, roughly $2CAD, we felt lucky and satisfied!) 

A super sweet day, spent just as I could have wished. 

We spent just one more day in the Cameron highlands and I so enjoyed witnessing James in his playful remembering of times past, and in his ceremonial letting go of that past, as we were staying at the boarding school where he lived out life for four years of his young life. I was regaled with stories of silly games, favourite play spots, characters that cared for him, what had changed, and what looked exactly the same, as we cherished our time in the little pocket of rainforest that left big impressions on a once young boy.

On wards! We journeyed to Tanam Negara - translating to National Park in Malay, it's a protected area roughly in the centre of peninsular Malaysia. Our journey was a bus boat combo, my favorite part for sure being the 2.5 hour long boat ride up the River Tembling, to a village called Kuala Tehan. We settled into the tiny village, with the abundance of squawking chickens, local vibes, and got ourselves some mega saucy rice noodles on a floating restaurant. We plotted our next day, another jungle hike, and a walk on the famous canopy walkway through the forest! Me oh my it was cool. I've never been that high in the forest, and it was magic to see these lungs of our earth from such a different vantage point. As we questioned the inspection standards and building codes of Malaysia, we strongly heeded the advice not to jump or sway on the suspended bridges and to always walk 10 meters away from anyone else. We did live to enjoy the high heights, and ate our picnic lunch with feel dangling well off the ground and pants tucked into socks--we'd been warned about the forest leeches ever excited to latch onto human ankles for a blood meal! Up we went to Bukit Teseren, to gaze out into the greenness of the precious remaining Malaysian jungle. I could almost see it breathing in and out, cleaning the air, and the vibrant life that it teems with. (I don't think I've mentioned anything yet about the endless roadside palm oil plantations, visible on every bus ride, and on the very border of the National Park. It is a highly unsustainable industry, if you haven't already learned about it look here, and also, remove palm oil from your diet, it is in most processed foods!) 

After a thorough leech check at the local swimming spot on the river, we carried on back to our newer more posh digs, complete with extremely cheeky monkeys, whom, caught me naked as he opened our window screen! I hooted and hollered as  I aimed to keep the monkey from running amuck in our bungalow, or stealing my sunglasses from the table. Feeling locked into our bungalow for fear of the mob of brave monkeys outside, we sheepishly called reception, told them of our predicament, and then I got to laugh my head off as James proceeded to open and close an umbrella multiple times, with much vim and vigour, as if it were a dangerous weapon! It totally worked, as the monkeys were scared away by the big black umbrella! We took the umbrella on our walk though there was nary a rain cloud in sight....

That night in the jungle we went for a night hike with a local guide. We saw green tree snakes, mega huntsman spiders, termites, oversized millipedes, and very loud cicadas. James tried, with the guides instruction to try and coax a scorpion out of its hole. He wasn't successful, but the guide certainly was, and a 10 centimeter long black scorpion came grasping out of its home! 

The dichotomy of where we bused to next was dramatic-off to Kuala Lumpur, a city of 1.5million but with buildings tall like its neighbours in Singapore. We got an AirBNB on the 31st floor of modern condominium in a posh neighbourhood, with the famous KL tower (the CN tower sister) viewed directly out the window. And beyond that we travelled onward to where I write to you from now, in the colourful, riverside Malaka. A smaller, cuter city just south by two hours bus from Kuala Lumpur, with a river running through this town, with hip cafes and restaurants along the river walkways and glitzy tacky trishaws to cart around backpackers and Malay tourists alike. James and I found some tasty banana leaf Indian eats and a funky hostel to lay our heads at before heading back to Singapore tomorrow, anticipating our flights to Australia. 

With a mosque around the corner, the call to prayer on the loudspeaker will likely wake us in the wee hours of the morning. Near the mosque is a Chinese temple (a Malay unique blend of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism). And near that prayer and gathering place for the Chinese Malay, there is a Hindu temple, for the Indian Malay. Unlike any other country in Southeast Asia I've been to, I'm curious about the way these three main sub cultures of Malaysia coexist. The things I've read lead me to believe it's relatively harmonious, an amazing feat considering the religious and political climate of our strange strange world today.

On that note, I'll sleep. Until next time, when I'll likely be in another country, another culture...Thanks for reading.

First thoughts from this Malay foray

James and I at the bungalow, enjoying some Chinese food

The Beautiful sky in the Cameron Highlands

Feeling full--of gas. Asia as arrived in my belly; an all too familiar feeling from time here in the past. And I'm also full of other things. I'm full of emotion and full of love and full of physical warmth. 

It was a big lead up. Months in fact. I can't even recall when James and I came up with the idea to go on this large journey together. I do recall it feeling a bit early on in our relating to be making commitments to multi month adventures in far off places. But here I am in a very white room, with a strange pink quilt on a hard bed in an old English Tudor style bungalow, in the middle of the Malaysian highland jungle. The months of anticipating the journey have passed. And as we suspected, James and my connection has deepened as we live a sweet life of blessings and challenges in Victoria. Here we are on an epic journey with one another. One where we anticipated comfort zones being leapt  out of and where visits to places of our past may bring up some things to be processed...

Since arriving bleary eyed in Singapore after 30 some odd hours of travel (complete with an interesting cruise around Tokyo, our flight stop over spot), we have already seen lots of sights, cried some salty cathartic tears, felt various states of nausea, ate some tasty street food, and sunburned our noses. That was just 5 days ago that we arrived in Singapore! 

We had a couple solid days of exploring the freakishly futuristic megalopolis of Singapore, visiting the homes that James partially grew up in (on bicycle!) wandering strange and lush urban gardens, gawking at floating soccer fields, bizarrely tall skyscrapers, merlion statues, and highly skilled chefs working the wok. We were welcomed warmly by cousins of our friends, whose hospitality was ease-fully provided and gratefully received. We cruised the light rail transit in Singapore and then later in Kuala Lumpur confused by the reasons why many North American cities don't seem to have their act together when it comes to getting light rail operating. It works so well! And is totally used by the masses when it serves the widest area and is kept clean and functional...maybe the $40000 Singaporean tax on just registering a car also helps keep people on transit?!?

I digress. Yep we liked the public transit. We also found our bike butt callouses handy during our two days of long bus rides. 

Now here we are in the Cameron highlands. A landscape that was so formative for James, as he spent most of the first 10 years of his life between Singapore and these highland areas, where tourism and tea growing seem to reign supreme. We're staying at a big English style bungalow that once housed James' family of 9 at Christmas time. 

We had a silly bush wackin walk in the jungle today, one that I think we will continue tomorrow. Onwards the trip down nostalgia lame will continue, as we shift to Chefoo-the boarding school where James spent grades 1-4. 

The air is cooler here then in the lower regions of Malaysia, which makes it a great zone for food crops that require coolness by night. Tea plantations were set up here by the English colonizers and so it carries on as rolling hills of once jungle are cultivated for tea growing. 

I love tea. And often feel like the green and black varieties that I enjoy are disconnected from my localized world view. In Myanmar, I really enjoyed meeting the real live tea plant and witnessing the tea processing. I look forward to exploring the Malaysian ways of tea growing tomorrow, after a big hike up to mount brinchang on the day of my 31st birthday. 

Pain and Connection

The 'mysterical' Oregon Coast

Summertime. The season that lifts my energy high, with seemingly endless sunlight, garden abundance, camping adventures, un-refuseable social gatherings; in my experience, I feel full and expansive in summer.

This summer has been a different one then what I've grown to expect in summers past (there's a lesson in releasing expectations in it for sure.) My summer months have been blanketed with the veil of familial pain. Real life shit. You have some of that in your own world too? We all do, and sometimes in that knowledge, I feel a small bit of comfort. In knowing that pain and suffering is part of the human experience. And while we all have our ways of processing, healing, or not healing that pain and suffering, I'm trying to discover the best way to do that, the way that makes most sense in my experience of this universe. I'm trying to feel all the pain, concern, worry, the anger, guilt, shame, and I'm really trying to not judge myself or my family. Trying. And so through that muddled path that life has past me, I'm swimming. Head above the life blood, I'm treading, slowly moving somewhere.

I've felt some real gratitude these past weeks. For the closeness of my immediate family, despite current and past challenges. The willingness of those blood relatives to bond together even though it seems that it would be wildly easier to ignore, leave, depart from all the challenges. I'm grateful that I have a community of people in Victoria whom I can speak openly to about mental health, whom make me feel normal in my experience and who leave judgement out of their story line. Remembering Kayla ten years ago, I wasn't in that type of community. And if I'm wrong and I was in that type of safe community, perhaps I was just a younger version of myself, unaware of common human experience, told a story by society that certain things are to remain private, that only I experience such things, and no one else would understand...

I'm glad that I have a community and a partner and a self awareness that allows me to be comforted in sharing the crappy parts of life, without fear that the sad or overwhelmed piece of myself will not be accepted, and that my most frequent disposition of joy, is paired with other states of being. And that's okay.
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Connection-a word I included in the title of this blog because I've felt connected in so many ways over these past months and especially over these past couple weeks. This connection has been varied: connection with my partner, connection with my garden, a symbol of the intricacies of life, connection to my siblings, connection to the Victoria dance community, connection to humans, to those struggling with transitions and mental health, connection to the divine source that glows or wants to glow, in each living being.

There are few experiences in life that are more special then connecting deeply with a romantic life partner. I feel so excited, so grateful that I have one of those connections continuing to blossom in my world. 

I've just experienced a very long extended date with my sweetie James. This, dear readers, is a type of connection I don't recall ever writing about in the history of Aurora Renews! I have had some very unique, intimate, and special connections with others in past, and I cherish those with such respect and honour. And now, I'm walking down a path of partnership with a dear man named James. And there is no better way to experiment with the potential strength of a relationship such as this then to go on a two week pedal powered adventure - where physical, mental and relational challenges abound!

Yep! Poppy has a new touring buddie!

Inspired by an interest to pedal to a yoga and music festival in the forest of Oregon, and experience an unusually full solar eclipse, we decided to bus, bike, ferry and train our bodies and gear to Cannon Beach, Oregon. Before even reaching Portland, our launch place, the first challenge arose. It arose in the form of a massive mangled framing square. Imagine: a piece of unique blue solid metal 'art', half a centimeter thick, placed so perfectly in my path on the side of a highway in Washington, as my cycling pal and I were pedaling our butts off, breakfast-less, in the wee hours of the misty morning. Without falling from my bike, I was ground to a halt as that blue 'art' work, incredibly mangled by bigger vehicles running it over, lodged itself into Poppy's derailleur and spokes. With an all to wobbly wheel, and a seriously bent derailleur, I managed to peddle to the train station, in Mount Vernon, Washington, concern growing like a mountain, that this had ruined all of our plans.

Luckily, I had James along with his problem solving practicality in tow, and his gluten free doughnut muffin procuring prowess. Fewf! Not all was lost! Sugar in my veins! Calls made to Portland bike shops...and Voila, Sunday night, we found the nice folks at Seven Corners Bicycle Shop, and Corey fixed Poppy all up real good. 

The journey was meant to continue. An early road block, feeling like an ending in my (over reactive) brain, was just a wee test for a couple attempting to journey together on a trip of adventure yes, and also, of connection. 

The connecting went on. We pedaled our way along the mysterical (made that word up accidentally and love it, mysterious and magical all rolled into one) Oregon Coast, with it's phenomenally wide and sandy beaches (were talking vertigo inducing, confusing sand dunes with numbered signs to prevent folks from losing themselves...like letters in those big airport parking lots). We camped at state parks, wandered on endless beaches, laughed over camp stove dinners...

Next, it was time to head inland to the Beloved Festival. The best way to describe this festival is beauty. Loving touches of poetry, art and nature spread through the forest in which the festival was set. Reusable bamboo dishes, composting toilets, nature mandalas and mossy nature relaxation nooks with gorgeous altars of intricate nature artwork. There was a magic fairy pond, lit up creatively at night, a roster of beautiful world music, all night Kirtan, and conscious electronic music to dance to. The yoga pavilion in the forest captivated much of my attention as I ecstatic danced, practiced yoga alongside famous teachers and singers, and bathed in healing sound.

Soon it came time to ride on, and pedal on we did...down the steep hill we had struggled up, stopping to top containers up with blackberries on our descent. We cruised into Corvallis, staying with a lovely bicycle passionate couple, and being entirely amazed by the extent of the Corvallis Food Co-op. In fact, I've been impressed by Portland's Food Co-op, Newport's Food Co-op too. Picture this: extensive bulk selection, that makes a sustainability nut like me, stoked. Fill your own re-usable containers with everything from kimchi to frozen peas, apple cider vinegar to fresh ground flour, capers to mayonnaise, bocconcini to tofu. All in bulk! It was a dreamy place - a full service grocery store, with reasonable prices, focus on local products and conscious thought around which products they carry. They make it easy to choose package free foods, had a hot food bar, as well as cold salad bar, and it was all cooperatively owned by community members in the town. It left me curious - why does Victoria, BC, not have a food co-op like this?! Surprised and disappointed, I'm how I could help make this happen, and what's happened before, in Victoria. 

After a few more campy nights in the warm Willamette Valley, cycling through mono-culture big agriculture, cooking ourselves good food, drinking good drinks, having great laughs, watching the ups and downs of the blood sugar coursing through our veins, sometimes in uneven proportion (!) we arrived in Portland. Feeling ever more connected to this person, with whom I'd never gone on a long bicycle trip, I was pleased. Happy, that even after some hard days of riding, some ups and downs of decision making and energy, little conflicts arising, and being dealt with...our connection was growing, getting stronger, solidifying. 

And Oh Portland! How you never disappoint. I hadn't been to Portland since 2011, which you can read about here. I keep sharing with folks that ask about how we had "such a Portland time in Portland". Here are some summary words to get you visualizing what I mean: Taco food trucks, amazing bicycle infrastructure bonanza, collective house living, yoga, Cascadia gluten free bakery (delicious is the understatement of the year), picnics in the park with cello and sitar in the air, co-op bath house visits for sauna and hot tub time, farmers markets, soap box derby, local cider tastings, live music, City Repair projects, meeting James' long time friends, streets closed for day long active bike-y park enjoying festivals. The list could go on. We had a super fun, jam packed, activity filled weekend in Portland. And it was all topped off by a solar eclipse that had been talked about for months by Oregonians...and was truly a special experience. In Portland, the sun was 99.6% covered by our moon. We saw the sky go dark, the strange shadows cast on the garden, the moon seeming to eat up the sun like it was a cookie treat, through our fancy glasses. 

To celebrate the eclipse, James and I cooked up a big pancake breakfast for three of our lovely host friends. We ate pancakes topped with local peaches and maple syrup on the porch with eclipse glasses on as the sunlight faded. In the strangest way, we observed the crows begin to think it was their evening roosting time, the foliage cast crescent moon shadows on our skin. And at the time of 99.6% coverage, we observed indescribable dancing shadows that appeared on the road, as we stood sidewalk side excitedly experiencing the dimming light.

As eclipses can be a time of manifestation, our breakfast crew took a good pause to speak aloud intentions that we had. Things we wanted to see play out in our lives, in this world. I spoke aloud my desire for harmony and peace. Among the hearts of my family, among the souls that are oppressed in the US and everywhere. Harmony and Peace. I pray for that, I hope for that, I want to manifest that. At eclipse time and every time...Harmony and Peace. 

Summer flows on. This rich warm time of year continues. I'm grateful for my community in Victoria, for the continuing growth of my partnership. I'm so grateful for visits from friends from Ontario, and continuing connections with folks who feel like home in a province that no longer does. I'm grateful for the beautiful food I get to cook each day. I'm grateful for my body that is able to carry me so far on bicycle. Grateful for my ability to cross borders and move freely in this world without discrimination. I'm grateful that my family bond still exists. I am grateful to be alive. 

Lovely food at the beautiful Beloved

Eclipse gazers at breakfast!

Blueberry mint gluten free pie at Cascadia in Portland

Bicycle buddies unite!