Bamboo Tattoos for all in Thailand!

No gun needed kids, just get a piece of bamboo and bind on some of your Mum's sewing needles!

Right on the number one spot!

Mother-in-law and I doing a little bonding!

Jen and I, finding our "power".

Anon and I. You can tell by the smile on my face that it is all finished.

People have asked me in the past if I wanted a tattoo. My response has always been less than enthusiastic. From the moment we arrived on Phi Phi island, I was inspired by the artwork I saw adorning the locals. I did not even know about the bamboo technique of tattoo. Instead of the "gun", artists use a piece of bamboo and bind needles to the end. It is all done by hand with no mechanised process. The technique is also very slow. The bamboo may contain between four and 30 needles depending on the desired effect. Each bamboo is made speciffically for the application. And yes Mum it is all safe and hygenic.

After a week of putting my ideas together and talking to arists I found Anon and we got started. Anon is from Thailand and his Grandmother is from Cambodia. I walked into his shop with a drawing that I had sketched on a napkin and from this he drew freehand onto my body. Within three hours I had a outline on my body. We negotiated a price and before i knew it we were beginning the outline. People say that the bamboo technique is less painful than the gun, but I dont know because I have never experienced the gun. The locals told me that I had chosen the "number one spot" for my tattoo, right on the rib cage and they all agreed that I would need to find my "power" to finish it.

The tattoo took around 15 to 20 hours to complete and this was spread out over five nights. I definately found my power. On the second and third night we were working on the shading of the tree. Deep, strong "jabs" were used by Anon to obtain the desired effect. The result was quite a bit of pain for me that left me chugging beers or "buckets", which ever was closer. On the third night I really did not know how I was going to finish what I had started. Jennifer (my mother in-law) wanted to know what it felt like. So at age 64 she decided to find her "power" and get her first tattoo. (Which she had been talking about doing for quite some time!) She remarked that after giving birth to four kids she had "power" and it would be no trouble. As we lay there together, I felt her squeeze my hand tightly as the bamboo perforated her skin. She got a beautiful little dolphin on her ankle, but this is a tale for her to tell.

Anon is a truly an amazing person. He has so much precision and attention to detail. It was only after we had finished the tattoo that he told me how he had wanted to do a piece like this for over 6 years. It was chance that both of us should come together and share the same idea. Anon not only left an image on my body but he has made an everlasting impression on Chelle and Me. Chelle was there with me every night, every minute and I love her for it. Anon is now part of our journey.

Angela in Australia!

It's always fun when you're somewhere and you see a friend from home! This is Angela. She's from Vancouver and was in Australia for a friend's wedding. At the end of her trip she came to visit us for a couple of days and see the Northern Beaches. We spent a sunny, hot day together fishing in the lagoon that Kim's house backs onto.

- The first picture shows us enjoying a beer on the beach and having a cheers with the rock pool in the background.

- The next one shows Angela and Kim pumping nippers. Nippers are little shrimp like crustations that live in little burrows on the bottom of the lagoon. You put the pump over a burrow, pull the plunger out (it's not as easy as it looks) and push the plunger back down emptying the contents into the black inner tube which is a sieve. If you're lucky enough to have gotten one you put it into the grey bucket with some water and presto, you've got live bait!

- We didn't have much luck that day but the third picture shows me and Ang trying our luck at the entrance to the Lagoon. That's Kim's little boat, or tinny as they call it here! Later that afternoon as the sun was getting ready to set i finally caught the first fish of the day. It was a little Brim and i cried while i was reeling it in. I'm new to the whole fishing thing and, as a vegetarian who just started eating fish a few years ago, i struggle with the actual act of catching anything. I'm probably the only fisherman in the whole entire world who actually hopes they don't catch a fish!

Where Kim's From!

There's a little piece of heaven on earth and it's called Narrabeen. Narrabeen is a little seaside community on the Nothern Beaches of Sydney and it's where Kim's from. The house that he grew up in, where his parents still live, is nestled between a gorgeous little lagoon and the blue green waters of the Pacific. Over the years his parents have created their own private oasis filled with beautiful eucalip trees and tropical plants. It's a place where birds sing all day long and the breeze can be heard rustling through the leaves. How lucky was i to marry into this family?!

I've included two pictures from my absolute favorite spot in Narrabeen. The rock pool! It's a natural, salt water swimming pool located in the most perfect of spots. When the surf is big, like it was yesterday, the waves crash up over the rocks and enter the pool bringing with them fish, kelp and and other amazing things from the sea. It's an amazing place to swim and every time i go there i feel incredibly blessed. Did i mention that it's only a ten minute walk from Kim's house! The first picture shows the view looking North while the second shows the view to the South. The surf break known as North Narrabeen, where Kim surfs most days, is just out of view in the second photo. We've yet to get a good photo of the surf break but stay tuned because that's definitely Kim's favorite spot and it will be showcased!

We Made It!

Kim always wanted to see what Vancouver looked like covered in snow and it seems the snow gods were eager to grant him his wish! In all my life i can't remember so much snow ever falling that close to Christmas. Any other year and i would have been jumping with joy at the thought of a white Christmas spent building snowmen and frollicking in the fluffy white stuff. But, when said white stuff keeps planes from taking off and turns Vancouver airport into complete chaos it is another story all together!

After two long days spent at the airport, standing in lines as far as the eye could see, waiting eagerly to board planes that were cancelled at the last minute and spending hours on the phone waiting on hold to re-book tickets for flights we were told were fully booked until after Christmas we were in luck. We somehow managed to get on a flight that would get us into Sydney on the afternoon of the 24th.

Thank you cosmic powers and thank you to everyone who drove us to the airport, picked us up, drove us back again, picked us up yet again and drove us one last time! You know who you are and we love you!

Chrissy in Oz!

My first "summer" Christmas spent with Kim and the rest of my new Australian family was incredible. For someone who has spent every Christmas of her life in a cold climate, opening presents while bundled up in fleece pajamas and slippers it was a surreal feeling to be sitting around the tree in shorts and a t-shirt! As for Kim, he was back in the environment he grew up in and was loving every minute of it. Sitting around the tree with his parents, wearing board shorts and nothing else, he was home!

We spent a relaxing morning opening presents while feasting on a delicious breakfast of cold lobster, oysters and fruit while sipping champagne and orange juice. (A bit of a Boundy tradition!) Kim and i were spolied rotten and i am happy to say that Santa found me even though i was in a different hemisphere!

The aunties, uncles and cousins arrived after breakfast and we opened more pressies (I'll try to write in both Canadian & Australian!), drank more champagne and ate an incredible lunch all while sitting outside, enjoying the warm weather and the company. Who says Christmas has to be white to be magical?!