Today marks the end of an era for me. I can't remember the exact day, but somewhere around May this year a new teacher began hosting a lunch class at the yoga studio that I frequent. At the time, I preferred my yoga in increments of 90 minutes, so a 45 minute class seemed out of the question, but I decided to see what it was like just in case. My natural curiosity often gets the best of me, you see.
The class went by relatively quickly. It was over just as I felt we were beginning, but it was a good class just the same. The teacher was pretty funny, I thought so maybe it won't kill me to mix in a 45 minute class every now and then. Sometimes a step back is really a step forward, after all.
Like me, she had an abundance of free time after an unsuccessful attempt to work at lululemon (A fate I too was overcome by several months later. That and food poisoning the day before the interview.), so she subbed many of the classes that I regularly attend. There was a point when I was in her class just about every day for quite a while.
Tragically, she did not like a particularly cheesy playlist I had one day, and I probably drove her crazy a few times with my occasional, or not so occasional, shenanigans and unintentional somersaults. The spaciousness in her pelvis surely helped her deal with these as gracefully as possible.
I wasn't always in the greatest of mindsets going into her class or others, but her humor and ability to push me as hard as anyone out there can helped me to leave feeling better in spite of the fact that I was a sweaty disaster.
Aside from my mother, she was the only one to give me a birthday present this year (A tin of licorice twist tea, which, appropriately enough, just ran out the day before our last class together for a while, tonight.). She also gave me some tea today as a "going away" present, for which I am quite grateful. Hopefully the wooden salamanders I gave to her will serve her well, or at least keep the big black dog happy. The big black dog is an excellent creature.
Thankfully, she has found herself a boatman to call her own and so will likely be in Halifornia until I return, whenever that may be. Hopefully she'll have many successful self-help books and other successful things going on in her life by then; maybe a third series practice, maybe a small human, who knows.
As Morpheus says, everything that has a beginning has an end, and, for now, our yoga classes have come to an end. Hopefully I'll see her again, but, if not, I wish her all the best. Thanks for the exuberance.
Live long and Prosper,
FKA
Wednesday 19 December 2012
Wednesday 12 December 2012
Goodbye Halifax
It's been a while since I first arrived at Birch 2 in Mount Saint Vincent in September 2005. I was painfully shy and only knew a handful of people who had come here from my high school, though I didn't even know that they were there until afterwards.I was definitely more than a little shy, but as soon as I arrived I was greeted by Kody Dagley and his twin brother Kristan, my neighbours as it were.
My first year was definitely a great experience. My grades were great, got along very well with my fellow birch 2ers, and discovered a passions for the athletics and recreation society, which I would stay in for all four years and eventually become the VP and President in my last 2 years. Most of my time in this society was spend planning and setting up for events, which I found to be pretty exciting. We started new events at the mount like the grinches gala, mardi gras, and the haunted house, which are now annual events and a tonne of fun! I was usually on the volunteering side of the event, so I didn't get to partake in the events very much, but it was a blast just the same.
Those friends that I met in first year remain very good friends to this day. For some reason, most of us decided to pursue careers in education. Hopefully we'll be able to inspire future generations to be the best that they can be; whatever that means for them. I'll be in China, where Kristan has already spent some time, but most of the others are sticking with Canada. Maybe Someday I'll return to join them, maybe not. We shall see how China treats me.
In terms of fitness, I've done a few different things. For the better part of 5 years I was heavy into the weights. As my focus and strength in the gym increased rapidly, so too did my confidence and focus outside of the weight room, which certainly helped me do very well in my classes.
In my third year my friend Jill introduced me to Step aerboics, which is quite an awesome time if you have never tried it before. Basically it was me, and 1-3 other guys and a tonne of middle-aged women, plus a few students. There were the "regulars": Debbie, Janice, Dana, Cindy, and Richard, who had been doing step for decades, and a few other people who came and went off and on. As soon as I took my first class I knew I would do it for a while, and hardly missed a Tuesday/Thursday night class for 3 years.
I do neither of these things now as I have found everything I am looking for in yoga. I was part of the furniture at the studio above lululemon for the last 2 years, but I will be saying goodbye to that place soon enough.
On December 30th I will be going home to Cape Breton until I leave for Qingdao. It'll be pretty nice to be back, given that I haven't been there since December 2010. I've certainly changed quite a bit since then, but, still, no matter what changes in your life, it is always nice to go home for a rest before you embark on a new journey.
I've definitely met some amazing people and will miss them all dearly. I certainly hope that I'll see everyone again, but, if not, I am certainly quite glad to have known them. We shall see where the wind blows me.
Live long and prosper amigos,
Dan
My first year was definitely a great experience. My grades were great, got along very well with my fellow birch 2ers, and discovered a passions for the athletics and recreation society, which I would stay in for all four years and eventually become the VP and President in my last 2 years. Most of my time in this society was spend planning and setting up for events, which I found to be pretty exciting. We started new events at the mount like the grinches gala, mardi gras, and the haunted house, which are now annual events and a tonne of fun! I was usually on the volunteering side of the event, so I didn't get to partake in the events very much, but it was a blast just the same.
Those friends that I met in first year remain very good friends to this day. For some reason, most of us decided to pursue careers in education. Hopefully we'll be able to inspire future generations to be the best that they can be; whatever that means for them. I'll be in China, where Kristan has already spent some time, but most of the others are sticking with Canada. Maybe Someday I'll return to join them, maybe not. We shall see how China treats me.
In terms of fitness, I've done a few different things. For the better part of 5 years I was heavy into the weights. As my focus and strength in the gym increased rapidly, so too did my confidence and focus outside of the weight room, which certainly helped me do very well in my classes.
In my third year my friend Jill introduced me to Step aerboics, which is quite an awesome time if you have never tried it before. Basically it was me, and 1-3 other guys and a tonne of middle-aged women, plus a few students. There were the "regulars": Debbie, Janice, Dana, Cindy, and Richard, who had been doing step for decades, and a few other people who came and went off and on. As soon as I took my first class I knew I would do it for a while, and hardly missed a Tuesday/Thursday night class for 3 years.
I do neither of these things now as I have found everything I am looking for in yoga. I was part of the furniture at the studio above lululemon for the last 2 years, but I will be saying goodbye to that place soon enough.
On December 30th I will be going home to Cape Breton until I leave for Qingdao. It'll be pretty nice to be back, given that I haven't been there since December 2010. I've certainly changed quite a bit since then, but, still, no matter what changes in your life, it is always nice to go home for a rest before you embark on a new journey.
I've definitely met some amazing people and will miss them all dearly. I certainly hope that I'll see everyone again, but, if not, I am certainly quite glad to have known them. We shall see where the wind blows me.
Live long and prosper amigos,
Dan
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