33.01.05.10

We'll see.

Is this a sign?

God! Have you ever had that moment when you're wrestling with an issue, sometimes wrestling with it for a very long time, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a random decision leads you to what may be the answer, or at least a clue to the answer?

*Sigh*!! Okay, so one or two of you know that I have not recovered from my WANDERLUST. When I met BB-boyfriend, I decided to stay put for a while in order to see if the relationship was going anywhere. BIG mistake! LOL! Okay, I don't mean that in a bad way. All I'm saying is that if you plan to live in another country temporarily or permanently, a boyfriend/partner/husband can be a huge obstacle if they do not also suffer from WANDERLUST. I mean, you can't fault the person if they don't want to uproot themselves and mess with their grand life plan. Nor is it fair to ask the person to do so.

If you are single now and want to take the plunge anytime soon, my advice to you is to flee! Flee! You will definitely find a relationship in your new home.

* *

BB-boyfriend definitely wants to travel more, but he is leery of any plan to live abroad, even for a year. Despite that, he is really committed to the relationship, and he has tried to work with me on the plan to run off on a big adventure.

For quite a while we have been working with the plan that I would - as I have been planning for over 2 years - ship off to another country starting in the spring of 2010. He would either leave at the same time with me, join me later, or we would try to see if the relationship would survive a year's separation. We narrowed down our location choices to 2 countries (his preference, my preference), we'd bought 2 books to help us better assess which country would be better, and we started brainstorming about what we would do with our stuff. BB-boyfriend even made a budget (scary numbers! eck!). He was thinking about enrolling in school, and we identified some programs that he was interested in. Lots of progress, eh?

Well, in truth, after working on that for a while, we haven't discussed traveling/moving for about 2 months.

Truth is, he doesn't want to make a big move (more anxious than excited), and I've increasingly been thinking about other ways to satisfy my WANDERLUST. All he wants is for me to find a job in his town and move into his house, and for us to have that glorious DINK (Double Income, No Kids) lifestyle. And to tell the truth, most of the time, that's all I want too.

But WANDERLUST is worse than the flu. Harder to shake.

So today I logged onto Facebook...out of boredom. I haven't been on Facebook in ages because social media tends to pull me away from the real world, my life has been a bit busier (yay for me!), and to tell the truth, Facebook is getting kinda boring. I was chilling at home, trying to engage myself with some activity other than playing "The Sims" (I've been playing practically non-stop since Friday night), when I decided to see what people were up to on Facebook. First things I noticed were the 12 unread messages in my Inbox (still unread, *sigh*), but I studiously ignored those (I have a "problem" with correspondence; over-saturation) and focused instead on the friend updates.

One of my friends had posted an old music video, and just for the heck of it (damn updates were so...blah!), I clicked the "Play" button. For some reason the lyrics started to drill themselves into my mind (I don't think I've ever really listened to them before) and I felt like this guy was singing about ME and BB-boyfriend and WANDERLUST.

Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

Now that shes back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there's time to grow, hey, hey

Now that shes back in the atmosphere
I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' Jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone
Conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

This song encompasses all the hopes and fears about WANDERLUST that both BB-boyfriend and I have expressed to each other. It was pretty eerie to listen to it, actually.



Will I regret going? Will I regret staying? Am I really "looking for myself"? Am I just bored and inactive in my life?

I know that I have to make the choice for ME, not for BB-boyfriend.

He doesn't want to hold me back. I don't want him to do something that he'll regret and blame me for. My life ain't so bad. Pretty nice now, actually. I know the other options for satisfying my WANDERLUST. It's pretty hard to let go of something that you've worked towards for over two years. I know that that the experiences that I want to have there, can very much be replicated here...if I get off my derrière and become more active in my life. It would so much more interesting to do the stuff there.

I am close to an answer, I believe.

"Race" is a Damn Funny Social Construct: Whatever! I have LOTS of black friends.

Ah, America, America, America!

Ya ever get the feeling that in some parts of the US things are just a wee bit fucked up?

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.

NEW ORLEANS – A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. " They come to my home, I marry them, I have piles and piles of black friends.they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."

What tha hell is wrong with some of these people in the South?!

"They use my bathroom"!!! *LMFAOffff!!*

"Most interracial marriages don't last long"! Wow! Unlike the huge number of same-race marriages that last FOREVER! Wouldn't want to buck that trend.

This is just one example of how Canada is better than the US. Yes, I said it: BET. TER!

See, here in Canada, we would have no problem marrying these lovebirds. We'd do the hokey pokey at the reception, ham it up for all the family photos, and make sure to reserve dances for both of the new mothers-in-law. Man, we'd be there to kiss the baby and volunteer to be godparents . Heck, we'd even throw in a $50 donation (all figures Canadian) to their college/university fund!

Doesn't mean that we'd have to sincerely wish the lovebirds and their "mulatto" (eck!) babies all the best. Doesn't mean that we think the relationship has a snowball's chance in hell of surviving. Doesn't mean we approve of "race mixing".

But, like I said: We'd marry their asses and party with them from dusk 'til dawn.

Cost? Nil.

We get to keep our lucrative justice of the peace job, the American Civil Liverties Union (ACLU) wouldn't be down our backsides, and by keeping our disapproval/hate to ourselves, we'd also get to keep the "...piles and piles of black friends [who we allow to] ...use [our] bathroom".

It's a simple, core concept of the Canadian multicultural identity called...tolerance.

Can we all say that together people? Say it with me: Tolerance. No! No! Not like that! You have to say it like you're whispering. Very. Quiet. Say it again: Tolerance. Wrong again! Let me demonstrate:

Tolerance means you hate it, but you keep it to yourself, cuz nobody wants to hear it, cuz they are here to stay, so ya better get used to it, even if you don't accept it.

Learn dat, ya damn crazy justice of the peace, Keith Bardwell!

Links

• Full story on Yahoo

Fall is here

...and it's already pretty dark for most of the day. We also have that good, chilly rain to add spice to our daily gripes. Oh well, this is Canada, so I'm not complaining too much. After all, there is lots of beauty to be found in this season.

The trees have started shedding their coats:


...but there is lots of color left for us to enjoy.


Thanksgiving is on Monday and I will be eating lots of pumpkin pie...at least twice! BB-boyfriend and I have 3 dinners to attend, so that's a lot of chowing down, guys.

Which gives me even more reason to celebrate fall: On Tuesday, I can hide my distended tummy under my fall jacket or my "indoor" sweater.

Caught my Eye: Aveda's Corn/Canerows

Aveda, at least here in Canada, uses a fair amount of ethnic models in their adverts. I like this ad because of the very stark contrast between the "mainstream" features of the model and the "ethnic" hairstyle.

I know that a lot of Sideshow Bob Hair people like some of Aveda's products, but I've never given them a try. Wonder if they're any good?

Expat and Travel Blogs

I've been sitting on numerous blog links for a few years so I decided to add them today. Haven't finished adding everything; work in progress.

From these blogs, you may find something/someone that

helps you with your plans to travel more, move overseas or just appreciate your life a teeny, tiny bit more.

That's what these blog stories are doing for me. That's what your story is doing for me.

The power of blogs.