It’s About Time.

As a writer, I often get asked about what kind of writing I do. Usually, I just say “poetry” or “poetry and short fiction.” I’ve never actually given people a specific answer without asking them to first look at my writing. Then again, I tried to post poetry before telling you what I kind of poetry I was going to write. So I won’t post anything yet. I will let this serve as the introduction to who I am as a writer.

This is who I am. I know I probably look terrible, but I may as well get it out there. (I’ll get a better picture up eventually, I promise!!)

My story as a writer begins in first year university. That was 5 years ago. I began writing a fiction piece, in the hopes that it would result in a major springboard for my entry into the world of creative writing. I realize that I was absolutely wrong. It wasn’t for lack of talent though, but for lack of effort. Yeah, I did write, and I spent a lot of time doing so. But I wasn’t doing enough to get my stuff out there. That’s the big thing. So I kept trying. I entered the creative writing contest a few years in a row, and nothing really came out of it. I also took a creative writing course in poetry being taught by Michael Helm. That was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot, but I still wasn’t getting anywhere. It wasn’t until this past year when I really put writing at the top of my priority list. I don’t have a lot to say about it, but writing poetry and fiction are amazing experiences that have helped shape my mind.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my work. The other was to write about the world I experienced around me. There’s a common thread going through all the writing I do though. That is, I spend a lot of it thinking about the human experience, whether it’s mine or someone else’s or just generally. The things that I write are reflections on the way I see the world.

I don’t have much to say about what my writing is at the moment, but I would like to consider this a true starting point. I’ve introduced my work. Let the discussion begin.

Belugas

I don’t really know if I’ve mentioned this in a blog before, but one of the things I want to do in the future is to swim with beluga whales. I first came across the idea on Reader’s Digest, where they talked about different travel opportunities and tourist things to do while out in Manitoba.

I don’t necessarily want to go in Manitoba, but I do want to. The experience described is as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Snorkeling with belugas is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sea North Tours provides all the gear you’ll need: snorkel and mask, two 7mm wetsuits for layering up in, booties, hood and mitts.

A small Zodiac takes you out into the estuary. When a large pod is spotted, you slip into the water, grab a towline, and hold on.

Any discomfort you feel when that frigid water hits your face dissipates as you’re immersed in a cacophony of whale song. Belugas are known as “sea canaries” for their chirpy vocalizations, which also include clicks, whistles and squeals.

At one point I counted six belugas around me (the guide told me later it was actually 11!), keeping pace or scooting off in a blur of white. Unlike many other whales, beluga whales move their necks laterally, thanks to their un-fused neck vertebrae. So yes: they really do turn their heads and look at you!

Mother belugas with calves tend to swim beneath snorkelers, remaining a cautious distance of 8 to 10 feet away, nudging their half-size, grey babies along. The moms actually turn and swim belly-up, gazing upwards at you as they pass.

Singletons keep pace alongside me, turning their faces to smile. For an hour–or as long as you can stand the cold–you can float along with the belugas, losing yourself in the wonder of their world.

Another must-experience is sea kayaking (also arranged through Sea North Tours). Follow whale pods and tap the side of your kayak or make your own whale calls over the water: they’ll come and investigate.

The very idea of getting into the water and seeing the whales face to face is amazing, and definitely something I want to do in the future.

What kind of things do you want to do in the future? Can you see yourself doing something like this? Let me know.

Winter Wonderland

So the time of year is coming that many Canadians either love or hate. That’s right: super snowfall season!

I’m indifferent to the season mostly because it has its ups and downs for me; on one hand, it’s pretty amazing, and can produce absolutely beautiful scenes. Not to mention, it happens right around Christmas in the northern hemisphere. The downsides involve the cold, the wet and the just plain ugh.

Despite all that, my only real qualm about the Winter season is not the cold, or the fact that I’m getting sick…it’s more that people won’t stop complaining about it, which makes it worse.

Honestly, you have no control over it, so stop complaining about it.

Jeez. It’s been a while.

So I haven’t posted anything in a month. This is due mostly to the fact that I haven’t had anything to write about. Partly though, I’ve been busy with a lot of work both in and out of school. I will admittedly say that the schoolwork that I have is nowhere near as heavy as most people, so fortunately, that hasn’t killed me. Otherwise, my time has been divided between multiple side projects, research work, a paid blogging job (*gasp* I’m betraying my own blog), and most importantly, spending time with friends.

One of the biggest things this semester, though, has been Grad school applications. It hasn’t really been stressful or onerous – there’s just been a lot of associated worry. I mean, it isn’t completely done and dealt with, because I have 5 more sets of stuff to take care of, but having one done is a lot off my chest.

In the meanwhile, I’ve been trying a lot of new things with poetry. One example of this is with the typesetting program and language I’ve been using, LaTeX, which can actually rotate text by changing the angle that it’s put into the document. To show you what I mean, here’s an example from one of my poems.

The creative side of me has started to re-emerge, and I think that it will definitely be a good sign; I recently told someone that creative writing was just one of those things that I couldn’t “take it or leave it” with. I’ve recently added a “Portfolio” page, where I will be posting more and complete poetry; you might even get to see this poem in full. Of course, as always, you can comment on the pieces that I put up, and let me know what you think about them.

Yours in thought,
K