skipping town is always an excuse for having a party with friends and family. which is what i did last night at the horn of africa ethiopian restaurant, on rideau street in my hometown of ottawa. we congregated for shared platters of delicious east african soul food - my favourite. my loved ones are getting used to my erratic comings and goings. my parents, especially, seem nonplussed at this point. i am surprised at how close i have grown to certain people, although it seems i have been rootless for the past year. most of my friends have told me they wish they could come with me. i admit, i would like to have company. but traveling alone is weird and wonderful. this will be my 3rd solo trip. i am getting used to solitude and trusting my own choices.




i was glad that anjali, my roomate from the good ole' mcgill days, could come. we cohabitated for 2 years and she was a terrific domestic partner. and genevieve and nick were there, the adorable couple. i enjoy being around happy people who are in love. if only genevieve and nick could somehow quantify their love and positive feelings, we would have an anecdote against all war and suffering. that is how in love they seem to be. and they are fun to be with! they will probably either laugh at how much of a nerd i am when they read this, be semi-horrified at the cheesiness of it, or be kind of embarrassed...maybe all three?







eating à l'africaine is wonderful because it unifies people. there is such intimacy in sharing a dish of food with the people sitting around you. clumsily scooping at food with your hand (and invariably dropping lots of it onto the tablecloth or your lap) is a good ice-breaker. emma and emily had not met before this evening, but i think that this meal brought them closer together.




after supper, a few of us went to ashtar terrace on sparks street to smoke some shisha. i think i am dangerously addicted to double apple tobacco...uh oh. it was all very joyous because after all, i am only leaving for 2 months and i will see everyone when i get back. but like when i went to africa, i am sure time will pass differently for all of us. it seemed that i lived an eternity of experiences there while for others the four months had elapsed in the blink of an eye. hours, minutes and seconds are very subjective experiences. maybe this trip will seem easier and faster than did africa? in a way i hope so, in another way i want to experience all that i possibly can. i just want to remember to trust my instinct and give credence to my own choices, or this adventure is going to be an ordeal!


i fly tommorrow at 6 am. i'll be in antigua that very same evening. hasta luego.