haiku

 

petals on the ground

crushed by passing feet

too quickly spring ends

And back to snow again…

Okay, this weather is really wierd. I’ve heard several people make comments along the lines of “where is that global warming we’ve been promised?” Snow on the west coast in April might seem funny (especially to everyone in the east who normally have to endure long winters and the bragging of west coast relatives enjoying early spring), but global Climate Change is no laughing matter. Flooding, drought, loss of some species and the spread of others like malaria carrying mosquitos…..

I’ve always thought a story can have more of impact than a bunch of statistics or dry facts, so in honour of Earth Day, I’ve posted a list of some of my favourite eco novels on the Chapters/Indigo website. Click here for the list.

One book, which didn’t make it on the list, because it doesn’t seem to be in print anymore (or at least isn’t available from Chapters/Indigo) is Secret in the Stalakum Wild by Christie Harris. I loved this novel when I read it as a kid in the 1970s. It was the first novel I’d read that drew on West Coast First Nations’ mythology and suggested the forest I loved was in need of protection (plus it was a riveting fantasy adventure — I thought it was a bit dated and didactic when I read it over again as an adult, but it still deserves a place on my personal list of influencial novels).

Are there any novels you’d like to see added to the list?

Speaking of….

Now the weather has switched to summer mode, and Vancouverites have stripped down to shorts and t-shirts! And I spoke too soon about being finished moving. Believe it or not (I hardly do), we’re moving again!

All weather at once

Here I am doing a reading at a school in East Vancouver last week (wearing my 19th century costume to go with my novel Discovering Emily).

Half way through the reading we had to break so the kids could rush to the window and look out at the snow (and blossoms).

Lost and found

It’s taken several weeks, but we’ve finally finished the move to our new home. Now, it will probably take several more weeks for us to unpack and find a place for everything (moving to a smaller space definately has its draw-backs).

One good thing: In the process of sorting and packing, I managed to find my watch, which I thought I’d lost two years ago (it was in the pocket of a pair of shorts I apparently haven’t worn for two years). My husband also found a long-missing dog whistle, which he thought he’d never see again (also in a pocket).

Here’s a photo of what our new living room looks like right now. It reminds me of one of those picture puzzles for kids. Can you find the three animals hidden in the picture?

Japan: many views through one lens

This morning I helped my friend Jean-Pierre Antonio hang photos for his exhibit, “Japonisme today,” which runs March 7-25 at Sawa Restaurant and Gallery near Granville Island, Vancouver (1538 W. 2nd Ave).

Jean-Pierre has lived in Japan for close to twenty years (he was a great help with research for my novel, Manga Touch). Taken together, his photos create a kaleidoscope of colours and images ranging from the blurred action of summer revelers in Maruyama Park, Kyoto to the larger-than-life performances of television personalities; from the serene and mysterious faces of old statues to the lively, self-conscious poses of university students. The photos are bright with life and movement, depicting a Japan that still has one foot in the “old Japan” that has always intrigued the Western imagination, while the other foot leaps ahead (and sometimes side-ways) into an ever evolving, reinventing present.

(Some of my favourite photos of Jean-Pierre’s are not featured in the exhibit, but are included on notecards available for sale at the show. The food at the restaurant is worth a stop as well!)

Countdown to Earth Hour

On March 29, 2008 people and cities around the world will be switching off their lights for one hour to reduce energy consumption and draw attention to climate change.

Last year 2.2 million people and 2100 businesses in Sydney Australia turned off their lights for the first Earth Hour. This massive collective effort reduced Sydney’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year (wow, just think of the difference people could make if we switched off lights more than one hour one day –and switched off our cars as well!). The action drew attention from the world. This year, millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv, will unite and switch off for Earth Hour, 8pm March 29.

If everyone switches off at 8pm, viewed from space, spots of light will be going dark in a wave moving across the globe as the Earth turns. It would be great if all the lights in Vanouver were turned off, and we could actually see the stars!

Teetering on the edge…

… between winter and spring. Rain one day, sunshine the next, relapse into snow, then sunshine again.

A haiku moment from last week:

sheltering from rain

under the Granville St. bridge

raven calls echo

And from today:

a single crow flies

aross a wedge of bright blue

between skyscrapers

Moving house

We found a new place to rent (about half the size and twice the cost of the place we’re leaving!). As I mentioned, we’ve been spoiled where we are (whole house to ourselves, big back yard, and low rent, which only went up $40 in ten years). One thing I wont miss when we move, however, is the neighborhood rats (I do like rats, but not as uninvited guests!).

Scroll down to see the Year of the Rat art I finally finished.

Happy Year of the Rat!

My novel The Truth About Rats (and Dogs) talks about rats and about Chinese New Year, so I couldn’t let the start of the Year of the Rat pass without blogging about the occassion. So, Gung Hay Fat Choy! (or Gong Xi Fa Cai!).

People who were born under the sign of the rat (1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996) are considered ambitious and hard-working – like their rodent counter-parts, who are diligent seekers of food. When rats sense food within reach, they will chew through almost anything to get to it. Similarly, when humans with this zodiac sign want something, they will as work as hard as a rat to achieve their goal. Apparently, 2008 will be a good year for rat people. Obstacles and setbacks can be overcome, and success is immanent (although it may be temporary).

I’ve been taking an online art class (cool concept and a lot of fun) with artist Karyn Gartel, and I’m using some of the techniques in the first few class assignments to make some Year of the Rat art, which I’ll post here as soon as it’s done. In the meantime, you can click here for last year’s Chinese New Year post and art or click here for a past rat post.

And here’s my Year of the Rat art: