Canada Trip December 2005 - January 2006

I flew up to Vancouver for the World Dharma retreat with Alan Clements. Then I went skiing at Whistler/Blackcomb. The trip was warmly enlightening, although the weather was coldly frightening.

Alan was a Buddhist monk in Burma for nine years, and then worked as an activist with The Burma Project. The retreat I did with him in 1992 changed my life. This time, my life was already changed, so the impact wasn't so dramatic. Yet it was well worth it, I definitely ended the week much clearer than I began. He's become somewhat less imperious, a bit more impetuous. Which is a good thing.

Skiing was awesome, though if I was smarter I would have waited until the end of the season when I was in shape. It's a huge mountain, runs were freezing and overcast. The hotel had a great oyster and champagne bar where I met new friends. It was only a slight interruption to get a call from my former job about work(!), but one colleague's recommendation of the Irish Pub was a good one. I met more new friends (from Louisiana, even).

All in all a lovely trip.