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Random Musings of a West Coast Canadian
The Philosophical Fish
Although I have a PhD in fish health and physiology, this blog isn’t particularly philosophical, nor does it have much to do with fish.
Zakynthos
Zakynthos is a fabulous island at the bottom of the Ionian region of Greek.
Red
Red – vibrant, inspiring. The colour of strawberries, cherries, legendary lipstick. I love the colour red.
The Cats
Felines that have shared our lives
Feathers
The centre monster lives with us and disrupts our lives on a daily basis. Living with a parrot, even a small one, takes patience.
Welcome to The Philosophical Fish…
I enjoy photography. I enjoy people who are real. I enjoy good food & drink. I enjoy quality in anything. I enjoy bold colours (even though I predominantly wear black). I enjoy the environment. I enjoy travel. I enjoy laughter. I enjoy the world around me and everything it brings. I enjoy the challenges – both positive and negative – because they make us who we are. I enjoy the wonder, and the absurdity, of real life. This blog is simply a place where I can deposit my photos along with my sometimes random observations on these, and other, things. And, from time to time, I might photograph and/or write about fish, because I really do have a passion for them. I did spend 15 years in University studying the subject, and I also managed to pursue a career involving them, no sense in turning your back on something you spent so much time on.
Maybe you’ll find something interesting, maybe you won’t. As someone I worked for long ago once said to me, “That’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.” So thanx for visiting!
2012 – 366 Photography Project
I’m obviously a sucker for punishment. Either that or I’m a creature of habit. So here I go again, year three, another photo-a-day project to keep me using my cameras, and keep Kirk on his toes for those days that I simply can’t come up with an idea and the clock is rapidly ticking towards midnight, and he knows if he wants peace he has to provide me with some inspiration.
Past Photography Projects
I decided to carry on with a second 365 project after I finished up the 2010 run. Take a photo every day, it is challenging and has turned into an interesting visual and written journal.
For some obscure reason I also opted to do a 52 week project on top of the 365 in 2011. Perhaps I was just feeling a little masochistic at the beginning of the year. Here is 2011 – my year week by week.
One photo every day for a year. It sounds easy, it is not! Not every photo is great, some are downright crappy, but I managed to complete it, that was the bigger accomplishment.
Monochromatic World
I can’t say exactly why, but I love black & white. I love the way a monochromatic image strips away visual clutter and leaves a feeling behind. Sometimes it’s good to leave the details behind and focus on the simpler things. Monochromatic images do that for me.
About The Philosophical Fish
I’ve always loved the photograph. I think you can tell a lot about a person by the images they create. You can pick up on personality, mood, thought patterns. There can be so much emotion in a photo.
I joined Flickr in 2008. I wasn’t in the happiest place in my life, but it kick started me with photography again, and that helped me take stock of things a bit. Looking through a lens helped focus my mind a bit and made me look at the world a bit differently. It helped to return me to a state of wonder at the fabulous things the world contains, if only we’d just take the time to slow down and appreciate them a bit more fully instead of rushing off to the next, latest and greatest, thing.
I decided to attempt a 365 Challenge at the start of 2010 – take a photo every day for a year, and try and make the photos somewhat meaningful in some small way. I enjoy photography, and I also like to write, so this seemed like a nice pairing. I wasn’t sure I’d complete the challenge – a photo every day is quite a commitment – and I didn’t know where it would take me. However, I have historically finished what I’ve started and never failed to do what I’ve said I will do, so logic dictated that this wouldn’t really be any different. And it was interesting to look back at the end of the year and view where I’d been, what I’ve been thinking about, what I’d seen through the camera lens, and consider where I am going next.
I’ve managed two straight years, and am embarking on a third now. I’m not sure how long it will last, some days it’s hard to force myself to pick up the camera, but it’s been an interesting journey in contemplation.
Most of my photographs are hosted on Flickr, and those images, when clicked on, will take you to my photostream, but the reflections are mostly housed here.
Part of my life involves teaching, the funny thing is that I once said I never wanted to teach. I said I never wanted to do a lot of things. And while I have always done the things I said I would, I also ended up doing and enjoying many of those things I said I’d never do. So I’m a bit more careful now about what I say I’ll “never” do.
Although I teach, I never want to stop learning, and at the top of that list is learning how to see. See the world, see people, see the humour in life, but most importantly see different points of view! We use our eyes to navigate, but at some point, as we grow and age, we stop “seeing” the wonder in the world around us, particularly what we perceive to be mundane. We become too caught up in our own narrow views of life, become entrenched in our self important opinions, our own selfish ‘wants’. Because we always want more, we forget to value what we already have, what others don’t have. We become very selfish in so many ways. We stop thinking critically, and forget to appreciate the little things or that the things that other people see are equally valid as our own views, just different, and different is good…how boring if we all shared the exact same views.
I am fascinated by human behaviour and often find myself analysing it, both in myself and in others. I try to understand why we do the things we do, think the things we think. I believe strongly in critical thinking and in exploring all sides of any issue. Too often we become entrenched in our own ideals, often based on emotions, and that’s when things tend to become polarized. Too many people think “you are with me or you are against me”. Life isn’t that black and white, don’t forget that there are many shades of grey, and many opinions, other than yours, are equally “right”. I like to find the humour in life. We spend so much time being bombarded by bad news that it is too easy to be negative and pessimistic, that’s the easy way out, complain. Complaining just puts more focus on the negatives. It takes an open and active mind to find the positives. Those are the kinds of minds I like to find. The ones that are considerate of the feelings of others, the ones that question the world around us, the ethical minds, the respectful minds, the curious minds.
Sometimes I ramble on about something that may or may not involve a photo, sometimes I just need to be able to poke fun at myself or the world around me. And although I always try to be positive and optimistic about things, ultimately I am grounded in reality – a realist by nature.
I moved to Vancouver in 1987 and fell in love with the West Coast and everything that comes with it. Even though I grew up far to the north, the Lower Mainland was “home” instantly. We have forests, mountains, the ocean, lakes, and rivers. And sandwiched in between all that, is a wonderful city full of diverse cultures and fabulous people in the most wonderful temperate climate imaginable. Not too hot, not too cold, not too anything…just perfect (OK, maybe a little too wet sometimes, but that’s why we have so much lush greenness, even the rain can be fabulous). I can’t imagine living here without a camera…in fact, I can’t imagine not living here. I love Vancouver, this Province, and this Country, but I also enjoy travelling abroad and learning about new places and new people.
I love my life because it is fuelled by my passions! I volunteer for a wonderful organization dedicated to education and safety on the water (see Norvan), and I have been welcomed into a community of people with shared values. I have the opportunity to facilitate the learning of University students in a field that I am passionate about. I work for an organization that allows me to use the years of education I worked through, and which provides me the opportunity to contribute back to my province in so many ways – socioeconomically, environmentally, ecologically. It wasn’t always that way, it was a long haul and I never know if it will last, so I enjoy it while I have it.
My husband and I own a fabulous little condo just a bridge and a park away from the most beautiful city in the world, within minutes of three local ski hills, and within an hour of a world class ski destination. We live 5 minutes from our boat and have access to some of the best waters in the world. We live on the edge of one of the best roads for a quick motorcycle ride on some wonderful curves. And every few years we pack up and head off for exciting adventures abroad, where we meet fabulous people and experience new things. I get to share this life with my best friend – a man who makes me laugh, supports me when I need it, tells me when I’m being stubborn, and somehow continues to put up with me. It feels good to know who I am, to be solidly grounded in my life, to have had the luxury to pursue my passions and my dreams, and achieve them, and it feels great to be truly comfortable in my skin. It feels good to have a life that makes me happy, it feels good to have a life that contributes to the well-being of the environment, to other people, to learning, to critical thinking. It feels good to be fulfilled.
