Big Buddha

I went to Hong Kong last year for a beachy adventure and to visit my friend Lee, but I also went to start a new birthday tradition for myself - to spend the time with myself, for myself, and to have an adventure on my own.

My birthday the year before had been the scene of the beginning of the end of my relationship with Perry, and as I said to him recently, is a day that will live in infamy. We finally broke up in the fall and then I moved out in late December, but around the time of my birthday I found myself thinking about the year before and all the things that had gone wrong with Perry and me.

For some reason, the trip to visit the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha really helped me let go and forgive both of us. I took a gondola by myself up the mountain and then as you reach a particular height, there he is sitting on the mountain top, waving hello.

I walked to the Monastery where I had an amazing lunch and wandered the beautiful grounds, thinking and writing in my little journal. Butterflies followed me around almost everywhere I went in Hong Kong.

(butterfly)

Perry and I had not been speaking much up to this point, but I found on this trip that I actually missed him and had moments when I wished he was there to enjoy things with.

But he would not have made it up all those stairs to the Buddha - and I was glad to be by myself to sort out feelings about so many things.

Once I got to the top of those 268 steps and spent some time surrounded by Big Buddha's serenity, I found I felt very grateful for everything in my life.

(this hand is fulfilling wishes)

(this hand is imparting fearlessness)

And the lovely ladies that surrounded him made me especially grateful for all the women in my life who have given me the gifts of their time, their laughter and their love and who have held me aloft when I felt like I was sinking.

I am grateful for them most of all.

Hong Kong was hot

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I went to Hong Kong last year for my birthday. I really had no idea what to expect but I had an absolutely wonderful visit with gorgeous, hot weather.

(this is the rooftop garden where I stayed)

(Hollywood Road where I stayed)

The city is both beautiful and ugly ...

(Man Mo Temple on the Hollywood Rd.)

(I stayed in the apt with the black windows.)

very Chinese and very generic ...

very urban and very rural ...

(a view from The Peak)

(The Peak Lookout restaurant - yum!)

with shopping and relaxing ...

and the most incredible seafood I've ever eaten for an entire 9 days - seriously, I would go back just to eat.

All of this is what makes it uniquely, wonderfully, Hong Kong.

I love the beach

Last year for my birthday I decided I wanted to go on a real beach adventure - so I went to Hong Kong.

What? Yes, I went to Hong Kong to go to the beach. My friend Lee lives there and always has these great photos of him at the beach and he gets up in the morning and goes for a surf before work. So I went for a visit.

As a special birthday treat we went in search of this waterfall that he'd heard about.

And with Meta's help, we found it.

And I loved it!!

I always think that one day I will turn into a mermaid, and this was a very mermaid kinda day!

things I did for my b-day - part 5

The fine fellow playing his guitar in the sun.

Brunch on the roof of the boat in the sun.

39th year is looking pretty good so far.

things I did for my b-day - part 4

I decided that one of my summer looks should be cute dresses (as always) and cowboy boots. After realizing how expensive these boots can be, ebay helped me out and I won me some serious sexy loveliness.

The first to arrive were the wonderful Frye's ...

that I am enjoying with a little cotton dress from H&M and a soft vintage crinoline.

Then these gorgeous red ones (which were are steal at 30 bucks) arrived last week ...

and they look great with this dress from Damzels and my favourite purple crinoline (they also look darling with the dress in my profile shot).

Then, just as I was giving up hope of getting them before my birthday, the butterfly boots showed up ...

and I am loving wearing them with this dress from Le Chateau which I think I bought in 1996 and gives it a whole new flavour!

Now I need to learn how to two-step!

things I did for my b-day - part 3

I recently discovered some amazing wheat-free, dairy-free sweet treats at Pulp Kitchen - it's across the street from the Damzels' store in Leslieville. 

Turns out they get their deserts from LPK's Culinary Groove where they make all kinds of gluten-free, vegan deliciousness!

I am officially in loooooove with their coconut cake with lime frosting - couldn't ask for a better birthday cake!! But what's that you're looking at Marcel?

Yes, those peonies you picked for me are simply amazing!!

And thank you for remembering how much I like to have flowers in the bedroom too!!

He's so thoughtful!

things I did for my b-day - part 2

The first dance I did as a child was highland dancing when I was 4 or 5. I'm not entirely sure why my mother chose Scottish dance since she's Irish as the day is long, but I would have to guess that it's because she loves kilts.

So when I heard they were doing the Highland Dance Championships down at Harbourfront, I was excited to see all the flinging and sword dancing that would go on.

And the kilts were flying!

I watched for about 3 hours - I really can watch hard working dancers accompanied by live bagpipes for a long time! Then I thought I'd go and find the Irish Famine Monument nearby. It's tucked away in a funny spot on the waterfront not far from where the boats from Ireland docked over 150 years ago.

This might not seem like the most uplifting thing to do, but I watched P.S. I Love You for the millionth time recently and a couple of the characters go to the Irish Hunger Monument in NYC with corned beef sandwiches to kinda show the ancestors that they were doing alright. I liked that idea.

The sculptures seem quite sad to me. They are called "The Arrival" and there is a series of figures in Dublin called "The Departure" by the same artist. I thought there was something very sweet about the flowers and coins left with them - are they wishes for the dead or the living?

But I didn't feel the need to leave anything. I came to say "you survived your hard journeys so that I could be here - and I sing and I dance and I smile with my Irish heart on my sleeve. I am grateful and all is well - be at peace, síochána."

things I did for my b-day - part 1

I spent a lovely day on the boat on the island with the fine fellow,

and fed Swanee, his lady love and their adorable 5 little cygnets!!

I just wanted to scoop them up and pet them!!

Happy Birthday to me!

from my sister Ceciley

The Flappettes return

I've been rehearsing for the past few weeks with my dance troupe The Flappettes.  We've been on a "haitus" for the last two years because 3 of the 9 members of the group got pregnant each within a month of each other and one of the other gals moved to europe.

This photo is from our last performance and there are two serious baby bumps going on there (the third was way to preggers to dance at this point).

We performed for Frankie Manning, the granddaddy of Lindy Hop when he was in Toronto teaching the real, old-school, original swing dance. He has always been our favourite audience member and is one of my biggest personal inspirations.

This was our low-impact "pregnancy" routine and you can see Frankie right at the very end with the wonderful smile that was always on his face. He died a year later, right before his 95th birthday.

Now swing dancing communities all over the world hold tributes and fund raisers to celebrate Frankie's amazing life, contributions and inspiration. So The Flappettes went back into the studio to revive one of our old numbers and we put on those gold dresses one more time on Saturday night.

Of course I tied eveyone else's costumes up nice and tight (I'm the troupe costume lady) and then mine comes undone! But it was so much fun to do this again and for a cause that is dear to my heart.

Here is my absolute favourite of our routines - Charleston -

which I co-choreographed.

To say that I miss doing this would be an understatement.