Art and Passion

Bird of Paradise

You've probably heard it many times. The arts have generally been neglected in our technology-obsessed go-go-go culture (you know what I'm trying to say here!). The more I become involved in the sciences I become more aware of the critical and often tangential role that the arts play within the sciences. They don't call it "the art of veterinary medicine" for nothing! I believe that art keeps us alive. If we can see beauty in the small things, then we spend less time frowning upon those things that seem more important.

I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago, to make a trip out to Bon Echo provincial park. If you ever have a chance to go out there, do it! Nature can be so inspiring. See for yourself, in this photo of Mazinaw Rock.

Magnificent Mazinaw

Nature also demands a certain respect. The more time you spend in nature, the more aware of life's fragility you become. The animals around you live their lives day by day, moment by moment. And there's a lesson to be learned from them. We can't spend our lives planning for tomorrow.

So you might still be guessing at the second title of this entry; "passion". This thought came to me a while back, probably when I was reading someone else's blog! You can spend your life going through school, working, raising a family, but when all's been said and done, ask yourself: "what am I truly passionate about?" When it comes down to it, there's nothing like exploring something you feel very strongly about. I guess I'm in a quoting mood today, but I have to, because this one really resonates with me: "life's not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself".

And creativity has no limits.

Signing off,

Dein

Fake it to make it!

This is a topic I've wanted to touch on for a little while. You may have heard this expression before. In fact, someone said it to me just the other day. There is so much truth to this, it makes me nauseous. It comes down to this; if you don't believe in yourself, then you won't make it very far. Self-confidence can take you pretty far.

3 cheers for believing!

Dein

A little bit of flavour

A taste of indian cuisine 

I swear this isn't turning into a food blog. I only wanted to include a picture of this tasty dish because it was SO DAMN GOOD! A scrumptious mix of cumin, cayenne, curry, and coriander, with lentils, orange cauliflower, mushroom, onion, potato. A great vegetarian dish if I say so myself.

While on the topic of food, I just started reading the bestseller "The 100-mile diet". So far (10 pages in), it's a delightful read. And I should point out that I am not yet feeling the guilt that I felt while reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". (Also a great book by the way). I think that food is a sensitive topic in our society, and to approach the issue of extensive food transport versus local food has to be done in such a way as to INSPIRE, and not GUILT. If you force someone to do something out of guilt, it won't last, plain and simple. 

My interest in these topics is partially driven out of fear. I fear that I may live to see a day where our existing infrastructure and modern society will collapse, only to leave us helpless in a world where food is plentiful, but we've forgotten how to survive. Bleak outlook, I know. I'm an optimist, I swear!

Back when I was in high school, my history teacher said something that continues to resonate with me; "everyone, in their lifetime, will see a depression, war or a major upheaval in their current state of living". I didn't quote it very well, but I hope you get the idea. It shocked me at the time, but I think there's some truth to it. I think most people are on par with the idea that our current state of affairs (globally) is unsustainable. And the first few cracks in the system have already appeared (with the US). 

And now we wait.

Dein

PS. Next blog will be HAPPY. I promise :)

Here kitty-kitty...

Have you heard of Kevin Richardson, the lion tamer? I hadn't. You may have heard of Grizzly Man (aka. Timothy Treadwell), who famously chronicled the lives of bears in Alaska. He was ultimately killed by a bear, mauled to death along with his girlfriend. There's even a documentary entitled "Grizzly Man" that was released in 2005.

Now, I'm definitely an animal lover, but I would never have dreamed of risking my life to spend time with them. On the upside, the work of these few amazing people has changed the way we look at "dangerous" animals. Maybe they're not so dangerous after all! And it also shows that body language among other cues can be a very powerful tool when working with animals. They can sense a lot more than we give them credit for.

Something to think about.

Toodles,

Dein

Piece of cake

Complete with Advocaat liqueur and all (no it's not supposed to drizzle down the side like that--I didn't make the "walls" high enough to contain the creamy goodness!)

Literally!

What's that, a surprise of cranberries inside? 

After a slice (or two)!

I continue to be impressed by "German Baking Today", written by Dr. Oetker himself. A word of advice if you are going to crack nuts for the recipe yourself; watch out for those tidbits of shell that manage to sneak themselves into the batter :P

Deee-lish,

Dein

Five fingers, five toes, two arms, two legs, and a nose

Recently, it has come to my attention that there are a number of people out there who have willingly amputated digits and limbs in order to free themselves and live on. The movie "127 hours" is a very life-like and shocking revelation of the journey of Aron Ralston who's arm became trapped by a boulder while hiking in a canyon in Utah. Watching/hearing of these stories makes me feel squeamish, but at the same time it helps to put things into perspective. Next time I complain about something mundane like homework, I only need to remind myself of things far worse that could happen. 

What would you do in order to survive? 

I also want to briefly approach the topic of risk-takers. I have long had a theory that at the core of our motivation is a desire to achieve "the rush", which, in physiological terms, is nothing more than an adrenaline rush. I have reviewed many of my own actions, as well as those of others, and have often found there to be no rational explanation for why we do something, other than the effects that linger afterwards. Procrastination is a great example of this. 

Many people frown upon those who take undue risks, and put their lives at stake for the sake of excitement, great accomplishment etc. I personally believe that these are the moments we seek in order to give our lives meaning. Although I do not do it to the same extent as some people, I take my own undue risks, knowing full well that I am doing it for "the rush". It all comes down to this; I would rather die happy than not live at all. 

Dein

Third time's the charm

You can probably tell that I'm very excited to have a blog now. Twice a day! My oh my. That won't last I'm sure...

I had a little cooking adventure this evening--not a new recipe, but one I'm trying to perfect because it'll be worth it when I do. It's a chicken recipe, by the beloved Gordon Ramsey. Here's the link to the video if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mARkUax2jg0

Now I do have to warn you that he makes it look very easy to cut the top off the drumsticks--BEWARE, this may result in personal injury if the knife isn't sharp. Mind you, it may also result in injury with a sharp knife. The idea behind this, as Gordon outlines, is that it "helps the chicken cook SO much quicka" ;)

I made a few changes of my own to this recipe, and they're a definite improvement since the first attempt.   My take home message: if it isn't great the first time, give it another try! The key for me was to taste the sauce before serving, and make sure there was enough honey to counterbalance the sourness of the lemon.

 
Rather tasty, I'd say!

Finally, just a photo to warm your heart before you say good night. I call this one "Cat in a bag".

Signing off,

Dein

A New Beginning

Hi folks,

Let me begin by saying that I never thought I'd be a blogger. But here I am. I have my wonderful boyfriend to thank for the idea. Apparently I spend WAY too much time reading other people's blogs! Nonetheless, I think this will be a great opportunity for me to share my thoughts and findings with others, should they unsuspectingly stumble across my blog. 

I'll mention my interests briefly, just so you know what's coming ahead, but I make no guarantees; I have interests that span as wide and far as Canada itself. And that's not an overstatement. I don't want to be clich/e and say that I seek the meaning of life, but I fit in somewhere along the lines of "trying to appreciate and capture the greatness and beauty of everything around us". I have a passion for learning, animals, fellow humans, music, yoga, mind/body, sport, reading, food/cooking...

I try not to identify myself by the things that I like or do, because this is how we tend to classify others, and it tends to be very short-sighted (and suggests that we do not have the capacity to change). I am a person who is constantly evolving with the experiences and people who touch my life. 

More to come,

Dein