Me-hee-ko

Last daze of familiarity, and not a moment too soon. The snow starts falling, temperature dropping, and I'm having my last meal with my good friend Andra. We're at the Rex, enjoying some beer, food, and good jazz as I head out for a smoke. I've been in Toronto and Hamilton for about a month now, and one person I really wanted to see was an old friend Sarah Taylor. We worked together in Hamilton a few years ago, and when I left to the west coast she was in the same transition of going to Toronto. We said our good byes and good luck, but never had any contact information. It had ended there. Now I had got her number from a friend and left some messages, but received no reply. She had become a television host now for A music video station, and I wondered if she even remembered me amidst her new found fame. I have my views about serendipity, but as I stood in the cold smoking, I couldn't help by say under my breath " I wish I could see Sarah walk by". My eyes started to shift back and forth scanning Queen St.West and I seriously questioned my mental health in that moment. Sarah a tall slim beauty, was now walking by me across the street. It took a moment to clue into the fact, and I yelled from a distance, and would you know it, she remembered me clearly. So there we were having a drink and getting all caught up on the past 3 years, and the congratulations of what we had accomplished in the time gone past. Moments like that always have their place and reason, I might never know why it happened, but I'm glad it did. I had done everything I wanted to do now in Ontario and was ready to leave for something new.
    It was early, and Sean and I were groggy. As we leave to the airport, I'm excited, but half lucid, so the coffee goes down and I'm saying good bye to a friend I've reconnected with. Everything seem to happen so fast, from getting through the line up, and through security, and then waiting at the gate, I'm now boarding the plane. Small but comfortable, the flight is uneventful, except for my sinus infection bringing me to tears at certain altitudes. Couple ibuprofen and 5 hours later we land in Mexico.

The confusion of the airport, and the worry about security, after what happened in Buffalo, leaves me sort of on guard for anything to go wrong. I'm now a free man in the streets of Mexico city, and the one thing I can't stop thinking about is "Don't get in the green taxis" I've heard too many horror stories about people getting mugged and killed. Mexico city is a nice place, but also very populated (10 million or something) and dangerous. I decide to take my chances and head to the Metro.

    I got looks, many of them thinking I'm gringo..., but there's no way of me saying to everyone I'm from Canada. To be honest I don't think they really care either way. So off to Autobuses del Norte, and I figure I'm right on track. Hehehe I don't speak a single word of spanish! I met -------- and he was kind enough to do all the translating for me, and even find me the best deal on a bus to Monterey, Nuevo Leon. We spoke for a while, since I had an hour to kill, and he got me acquainted with mexican culture. He was from Chappas and so he was just as lost as I was, and went to tell me that he had gotten himself mugged the other night, by getting into a green taxi. "They stole all my research" he told me, and this had no value to anyone other then him. Some papers about old native mexican languages. He studied and taught linguistics in southern mexico, and specialized in ancient languages like mayan, and aztec. I envied this man for not being all distraught, everything seemed fine and calm for him. He kept me company with stories, making sure I was alright. When it came time for me to catch my bus, he asked me quite embarrassed, if I could help him out to with some money. I immediately thought I had just got played. I will never know for sure, but I gave him $20 US and some Canadian change I had. I thought to myself, and justified the situation. He helped me out more then his share, and I can honestly say I don't think he made all that up. Whether it was a ploy or not, I knew that I had done something nice in exchange for someone else being a good samaritan, and nothing else mattered because that was my perspective about it.
    10 hours to Monterey and I slept. I was so tired that even the 3 other guys who were trying to be courteous by offering me food and conversation weren't able to keep my interest. Halfway we stopped and I made some friends, which came in real handy when I needed to call Sofia whom I was going to be visiting. I had no clue what I was doing, but everything seems to be working out. We said adios, and I was meeting Sofia for the first time. It was 3:30am and I was now at my destination, and full circle in an again half lucid state.

    

Christine Keeves

Time to fly to another place... Bags packed, hang overs gone, plane ticket in hand, I will be surfing by tomorrow morning. As Mark and his brother in-law are ready, we all climb into the car and head out to Buffalo where I'm going to fly out to Long Beach California to meet up with Karen. As usual I'm running late so we are in a rush to get there, but not with out a quick bite to eat. Bellies full we're in line at the border. I'm not sure how many people I know who have damned to United Sates of America's arrogant border, but I now know that I am one of them. The mentally challenged border officer that couldn't understand what I was saying let alone trying to explain that I was flying to California to see a friend, and hadn't confirmed a return flight because I would be driving out of the US of fucked up A. "Off to immigration" he says, probably more out of incompetence and lack of effort in his work then actually thinking I was going to work in their country. We drive to the building, and every move is done with caution. It's really interesting how paranoid you feel when under a marshal law. I mean between countries there are no rules, they have complete control over you, or so we all think that. Regardless we are here and waiting for our names to be called. I notice that everyone in the room has same sort of nervous twitch, a knee bouncing around, fingers running through hair, biting lips, constant blinking, we all have our own. I immediately became aware of my situation, and figure I would try a different approach considering you don't get pulled in to the kind of moment everyday. With my nervousness pushed deep into my belly, I become calm and arrogant, I wanted a level playing field here. I knew from the start things were not going to go my way, if your at that point you already know your fucked. So I state my case.
    Christine Keeves was the officer who I dealt with, and I must defend her here, because she did everything in her power to help me out. She was polite, timely, and to the point. I stated my facts, that I was flying to California and was going to make my way up to vancouver back home. Ok so I lied a little, but you only get one story to tell and I figured going back to a life I had in Vancouver was better then trying to explain I was becoming a global hobo and heading to Mexico. The story didn't convince her supervisor, as he arrogantly asked me my income, my savings, my credit, assets, and blah, blah, blah. He then insisted I had no proof that I was going back to Canada, and that I did not have enough money to travel. I could understand their view, but what confuses me is that by telling a vague truth I get refused entry into the country, but had I lied my ass off I probably wouldn't have had any problems. So with this I learned a lesson a already knew, tell them what they want to hear!
    So after 4 hours of interrogation, figure prints, mug shots, and pretty much feeling like a criminal for something I hadn't even done, or couldn't even make sense of yet, we left to drive back to Canada where they were much friendlier. Yeah no worries was pretty much all we heard driving through the border. I'm not sure I understand why policies differ from border to border, seems to me that every one of them has the same job to do, and I haven't heard about there being more breaches in Canadian security then in US security yet our border guards do their jobs with a smile on. I guess some just have different approaches, and apparently being an asshole just works better? I would love to see the proof of that. All of my american friends completely understood and expressed the same lament, that no one goes to visit them because of the same reasons; it's too much of a hassle and very degrading to enter the Unapproachable Security of A fucked up political nation. So I quote my friend Karen from California "fuck the US... the hell with it. " and with that start look into booking the first flight I can to Mexico.
    With a common theme happening in my experiences, everything happens for a reason in life. As we arrive disappointed and angry there is not much to talk about, so I make a call to inquire about the cheque I was supposed to receive for some work I did in Toronto. One phone call led to 3 more gigs, so I pack up once more and head off to Toronto to stay with Andra and Sean. They were amazing hosts, and are both great friends. Beer, pizza, and more good memories, conversation, and drunken haziness, I'm loving this. I manage to book a flight to Mexico city direct from Toronto, all I have to do is survive a weekend and pick up the rest of my things in Hamilton, and by Tuesday I'll be in full form and in my first foreign country. Mexico I'm on my way.... I mean for real, I need to get as far away from this snow as possible.
peace,
-ken

From Tdot to Steel town

    So from Toronto to Hamilton it seems I'm making this travel a habit. As I head to my new place to live with my dear friend who is more like a brother to me, Mark; I have no words to express my feelings for and trust in this man. I settle myself in. The night starts off with some celebratory drinks, the beer and Jagermeister flow freely and I reconnect with old friends. We hit the Lions' head for some conversations gone drunk. With old names like Will, Shawn, Dave, and Ray, this was just an introduction, as I'm leaving to go back to Toronto for an old friend Andra's birthday.

    In Toronto now, again we all reach for the drinks, and toast what we have all grown to be, people we are proud of. Sean, Paul, and I have not sat in the same room together in 6 years and some things never change, the energy remains, the laughter, the hugs, the drinking and stories take over. The rest of the night went by as naturally as anything can be, as we couldn't stop dancing at the underground bar on King st. To see Paul and his beautiful new wife made my smile, knowing that sometimes the good guys do finish first, and a good heart does triumph. I wish them good fortune, health, and happiness. As for Sean and I, we sat drunk until the early .am and managed to get a little rest before driving back to steel town for some more alcohol abuse.

    A little butter chicken in our stomaches, a few beer, and it's to the Lions head again. This time Sarah has put together some disco balls, lights, and cleared the floor, as I put the funk music together for an all out take over of the bar. People I haven't seen in years dropped in for reminiscent stories, and I danced, got drunk, and managed to behave no matter how tempted I was to jump into some debauchery. I thought about how good life was at that moment, with laughter, friends, and the creation of new memories.

The following morning was hell, I haven't been that hung over in a long time. I think that morning was the most relaxing pain I've ever felt, 6 movies with Mark, a bucket of various popcorn, and a lot of water, we never left the apartment. The rest of the week was all about resting, making some jewelry, designing some postcards for a client, and preparing for the flight to California.
    I was leaving Monday, flying to Long Beach California and ready to be surfing in Venice on Tuesday with Karen. I was excited to be spending some time with a dear friend, and seeing the west coast again. I've been really missing that pacific ocean, and wanting to either move on or move back but the transition period needed to be on to the next phase.