Lets play Yoga - follow your bliss!

Last Saturday Anja, Rabea and I went to the Vancouver Yogathon & Blissfest, an anual fundraising event to raise money forcamp moomba, a summer camp for children with HIV/AIDS. After having difficulties to find the Thunderbird stadium in the labyrinth of UBC we were overwhelmed and infected by the energy and bliss of about 2000 participants. Before the actual Yoga programm there was nice Yoga Rock from Scatterheart and a marketplace for all kinds of products connected to Yoga (or not).
The programm was led by Eoin Finn according to his Facebook page a "yogi, writer, surfer, blissologist and ocean worshipper" and a star in the Vancouver Yoga community. He was supported by a team of eight other Yoga teachers including Bernie, Semperviva Yin expert, and Rebecca, the power flow lady. They took turns in describing poses that combined Yin elements, Hatha and Vinyasa Power flow.
The sun was burning on us all day and after an hour of Yoga it was really difficult to focus. We drank litres of water and the provided cereal bars gave back some energy. We still needed cooling of in the ocean at Spanish banks afterwards.


Welcome speech by mayor Gregor Robertson


Scatterhearts singer Jesse Enright showing off :-)


bowing to the sun and whatever else.


Feel the Bliss?

shame on UBC's engineering students

A group of UBC engineering students were arrested Monday morning after being caught trying to suspend a Volkswagen Beetle from the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge.

The group could face charges of mischief over $5,000. This is the first time the students have been charged for what has become an annual traditional with UBC's engineering students.

Image source: DPA (Biennale Sao Paolo): Thats how you hang a beetle

Der Spiegel
Vancouver Sun

War camp at UBC

On Saturday, I took a walk around the UBC campus during the break of my course and suddenly, I stood in front of a frightening war camp that had been erected around the Buchanan Tower: Concrete walls, barbwire, watchtowers with floodlights, crude warning signs: "HALT! Warning! Restricted area - Use of deadly force!" My first thought was that this was an anti-war installation and for that, it would have been a pretty good setup.

However, it came out that it was "just" a film set and two production assistants informed me that they had to re-shoot some scenes from forthcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Wolverine is a super-hero with the special power of extreme growth of hair and fold-out scissors like Edward Scissorhand). Well, I'm a fan of the X-Men series, so it was still pretty cool to watch and I'm looking forward to the release of the movie.

sub-zero conditions

The snow and the sunshine drew me outside and I went to UBC to pick up Olaf. We went down to the Tower Beach about 200 meteres from campus. You can see Vancouver at the right, West Vancouver, Bowen Island and even Vancouver Island. Its nice with snow but I can't wait to visit the beach again in summer :-)

Tower beach at UBC, just before sunset


Bowen Island


in the rear: Vancouver Island

The sub-zero condition will probably last for up to 10 days and there might be more snow tomorrow. I think chances for white christmas are increasing.

My first Starbucks cup

If you ever wondered why anybody should buy one of these ugly Starbuck coffee cups - because it is the only coffee place around, many people go there everyday and if you always take a plastic cup, it's making it even worse. By bringing your own Starbucks cup for a daily refill, you make not only Starbucks but even the environment happy. Or at least your conscience.