Dress for the Elements

I bought Jay a new shirt today. I didn't take a picture but typed shirt to search for old personal photos on Flickr that might contain that subject. One came up that was taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia six years ago this month. We stayed for the winter in an Airbnb and used the city as a base for other journeys within Asia.

   

I'm adding it here because it demonstrates both Jay's and my propensity in shirt selection. We are bright and loud. It stems partly from the fact we own mostly short-sleeved shirts. Because we experience perpetual summers, and travel often to tropical settings, being bright and loud works well. 

Jay's shirt choice today continued the same trend. You'll someday see a picture of it here when he's wearing it.

Caveat emptor!

These Hawaiian shirts would've been perfect if they had actually been 100% cotton as the description stated. I think, in fact, they are 100% polyester. It's not a good material for a hot climate and completely defeats the purpose of this style of shirt. I should know better than trying to buy clothes online.

   

Rather than being delivered by our usual Amazon guy, they came via a shipping company called, Intelcom. I hate seeing that an item is due to arrive via them as their drivers are too lazy to bring packages to our doorway. I've never been impressed with that company. Now, however, they have to arrange to come back and pick up these as a return. I can count items I've needed to return over the years on one hand.

Black Friday

I think the title describes our weather perfectly today! It's another, damned Pineapple Express outside.

Yet, we didn't order a thing online nor did I stand in any shopping queues. Of course, when we want something we generally buy it right then. Gift giving occasions seem more than a little silly to me. Bah humbug, right?

I did stop at the Thrift Store today because I always scoop up any Hawaiian shirts when available. Although I stood on two of those actual Islands last month, I find my second-hand shirts around here. As Jay says, "Ones that belonged to dead people." Unfortunately, the three shirts, I had eyeballed previously, were gone before I arrived.



Although I didn't add to my collection, I can pack some of these into my suitcase. I can use them in Penang from next week!

Clothing for the Big Kahuna

We had a former veteran TV weatherman who would give his Hawaiian-shirt Index during summer months along with the more traditional meteorological scales. He was pleasant and professional. I've not seen him for quite some time so he must have retired. I miss knowing if it is going to be a 2.5 or 3 shirt day. (I don't think we made it to even 1 today!)

I used to collect Hawaiian shirts. Then several years ago, when we spent the winter in Puerto Vallarta and I sort of burned out on them. I tossed worn ones out and only had a few left. I'd like to proclaim publicly that I'm about to re-start my collection.


Today, I found several at the local thrift shop. Perhaps my purchase will help with the advent of summer here in the Lower Mainland of BC. We really haven't had much summer yet. Also, I can take these along to Southeast Asia for our upcoming winter months.

Smug Solar Self-Satisfaction

It's perfect and sunny in Metro-Vancouver.

Our life has been predominately in the sunshine for over a year. We absconded with my Hawaiian-shirt collection to Puerto Vallarta during last winter. It seems as though we're pretty much assured of even more sun during the upcoming one. As the front of the New York Times online edition says: "Curiosity is the world's most vital resource." I found numerous websites where one can get average, monthly weather stats for most anyplace on earth. I also skipped down to the climate section on Wikipedia.

I noted that Luxor, Egypt has an average of less than two rainy days per year and that the total annual rainfall averages only around 1 mm (0.04 inches). Wasn't Ra an ancient sun god? it looks as though I will have to pack a few sweatshirts for the winter evenings though.

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I took this picture of the Luxor Temple on last year's trip to the Near East.

Highlighting a Hibiscus - Day 84

I've been wearing images of them on my Hawaiian shirts for years. We've taken to drinking them as tea. They grow here and many other favourite places of mine. So, it's high time I add an image of hibiscus flower to my eJournal and images.

There's real truth in the adage about needing to stop to smell the roses. Actually, I didn't put my nose to this bloom, but I pass them each time I walk from the apartment. I've walked near the bush a thousand times but never allowed myself the time to really study it. Life allows us to easily let beauty go unappreciated. I want to be more conscious of my surroundings and less consumed by my own dialogue. This seems like a lesson which could use constant repetition.


Again, today, my world was bright and inspiring. And I noticed.

Boring Flat Beaches - Day 53

We got up at the usual 8:30 to 9:00 timing. So as usual, it was after ten before we had finished breakfast and the lot. By the time eleven rolled around, we realized we hadn't planned anything for the day. The sky was the bright kind of blue that doesn't happen every morning, so we dressed up. (This means I put on my shorts, sandals, and a Hawaiian shirt.) We hit the stairs without a real plan but thinking we might go catch a bus to Mismaloya. By the time our feet had hit the road, we had already reconsidered. It was too late for that. There must be some other thing we could do.

An idea surfaced. After being here numerous times, we'd never really seen the beaches of Hotel Zone. So we went on a bus heading north rather than fulfilling our original intentions in the other direction. Just after getting through Centro, one comes to the municipal stadium. This is were we got off, right in front of the Sheraton Buganvilias which is probably still considered in a part of Puerto Vallarta Centro.


We found an access path right next to the southern side of the Sheraton complex. Here it was rocky but as we progressed up the beach, it got sandier. We kept walking into the southern hotel zone. We saw hundreds people staying in the hotel complexes. We hiked back from the beach to road along the northern edge of the Canto de Sol.





If one has a week, I can see the allure of an all-inclusive. One never has to leave the property with its non-stop food and drinks. It makes sense for those who fly in just for a chance to thaw out by the pool in the sun for a week.

That is not our Puerto Vallarta. I know we'd much rather be where we are. I love chillin' in the Old Town, hugging the edge of the mountains.

Day 7 - The End Is Near

A week can surely whip by. At least, this week has seemed to pass very quickly. Alas, I guess vacations always do.

On our last full day in Puerto Vallarta, we just spent a lot of the day walking around (and up and down) the old city, the romatic zone and malecon. This really is a perfect place to hang out during the winter. The days are warm, but the evenings cool off enough so that air conditioning is not really needed. I do so sort of picture myself as a Hawaiian shirt and sandals sort of fellow. I'd like to ensure that over the next few years that becomes a part-time occupation. If a pineapple will grow there, then it's a place I'd like to be.

We love Vancouver but I'd surely not mind putting off tomorrow evening's departure from Mexico for a while longer. Keeping with the theme of being blue, I will just add seven pictures to fill out the rest of the blog entry.

Fashionista: Revisited

In mid-May of this year, I must have been prep-ing for the summer. For on the 19th of that month, I added a photo of myself in my newest Hawaiian shirt. I boasted about owning fifteen of them and attributed it to a personal quirk. (See it by clicking on the the bolded text above.)

Unfortunately, since then, I've had to part with a number of them. I donated at least a half dozen to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop as they had outgrown me. Or to put it more accurately, I had lost enough of my own girth to make them too baggy. The point of wearing Hawaiian shirts is to be comfortable, but at a point if one is too loose then it feels awkward.

I did find one to purchase today at the thrift shop. I have to start rebuilding my collection again. Now, if I could only do something about keeping the summer going for a few months more ...

Fashionista?

Lest anyone forgets; my eJournal and images is all about 'vanity press'.

The weather was nice enough today for me to first try wearing a new Hawaiian shirt. I just checked the closet and verified that it is my fifteenth. I've sort of discovered that they are more convenient than t-shirts. They dry faster after being washed. As well, the fact they can be worn untucked and half-unbuttoned is a big plus in my book.



I even once looked up their history. It seems as though "aloha shirts" were invented by a Chinese shop keeper. He used unsold stock of kimono material to create colorful shirts to sell to Waikiki tourists in the early 1930's. They were a big hit. Other manufacturers soon followed suit as even locals took to them. Of course US Mainland demand increased when servicemen returned stateside after World War II.

I don't really understand why like them so much. I don't think it's my age as I don't see a whole lot of 50 year olds wearing 'em. I've only visited Hawaii once. It's just a quirk. And they're a lot cheaper to collect than say, sports cars, or fine gems.

The Colour of Money

For most of my working life, I've carried colourful money in my wallet. Actually, due to the use of debit and credit cards, I haven't really used cash in Canada for more than a decade.



Yet, an important part of getting ready for an overseas trip is picking up a little cash to use on sundry items. Today, we stopped in the Merlin Travel in Metrotown just to get some US dollars and a few Costa Rican colones. These, along with the cards for bank machine withdrawal, will be used after next Saturday's flight, and for the remainder of the month. I've already thrown a few shorts and Hawaiian shirts, and sandals into a backpack along with my passport. Almost set!

Hawaiian Shirts Help

We travel internationally a lot. We manage many more weeks of annual vacation than most other people. We're slowly conquering the world piece by piece. I can hardly believe it when I hear about workers who must take their annual break and decide not to go anywhere. How sad. How very sad!


Something we've recently starting doing though is using every weekend to be local tourists. It doesn't take many hours to get out of one's rut. Today, for example we slapped on some touristy looking clothes, hanged a camera around my neck, and jumped aboard Translink (the Metro Vancouver transit authority).

The last time we went to Jericho Beach was probably soon after arriving in Canada. From now on, during every Sunday for years to come, we plan to a get out for a few hours and go somewhere. Even before the festivals of the summer and fall, there are geographic places to see. For example, until last month we'd never been to the Cleveland Dam on the Capilano River that divides North and West Vancouver. We've called this area home since 1996!

We find this is true of most everybody. Our advice is get out and act like a tourist. It's good.