Suspended Animation and Noblesse Oblige

So here I am in remote Newfoundland (remote by 700k from my home, at least, I'm sure the inhabitants of here don't feel remote in the slightest). I feel trapped in a kind of weird, other-worldly feeling. Like I'm here when I should be there. I'm reminded of one of my favourite movies, Casablanca, (oh, how trite, OSS - yeah, I know). Where all of us stricken travellers wait for the signed pass out of here.

I take the dog out and scurry back in again, the snow is bad and I'm in spring clothes with a spring jackety thing with a silly skimpy hood and NO GLOVES OR CAR SCRAPER. It is mid-May and somebody should tell Cornerbrook. However, blessings come in food for this weary traveller and I was handed a platter of cod and scrunchions tonight that just about made me weep. Now I know why I live in Newfoundland.

And next I whupped the ass off a friend on Facebook's Scrabulous (I forget its new name) by scoring 444. *preen*.

And then I toddled over to Tessa and she had given me one of those you-have-to-work-for-it-awards. It might come as a surprise to you out there but I'm a bit of an award whore. I even created a hallway on the side of my blog.

Anyway here it is:



And here are the conditions:

The recipient of this award is recognised for the following:

1) The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervade amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2) The Blog contents inspire; strive to encourage and offer solutions.
3) There is a clear purpose to the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding of Social, Political, Economic, Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4) The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5) The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:

1) Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2) The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3) Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older post to support.
4) The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5) Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

Well I've done 1 and 2.
As to 3: I just toss out the contents of my brain on a regular basis. When I started this blog it was to yell about the economic turbulence the world was about to undergo and how patriarchy, religion, bigotry, prejudice and misogyny based on ANY criteria were just plain WRONG. I vented about the illegal invasions of sovereign countries, of the appalling practices of big business, of atrocities here and abroad, of just about anything that blew out my spleen. I wrote many posts about pornography and how it pollutes all it touches. And many more topics too numerous to mention.

I still do, rant and rave that is. Except when I get sidetracked by May snowstorms. And this dog of mine who wonders when we'll escape from snowbound hell (snapped without flash in the dark hotel room today at high noon, looking as if she'd love to bang her head off the wall). Me too.



And now to 4 & 5~

I'd like to pass this award on to:

Jenny at South Belfast Diary who writes fearlessly of the politics of Northern Ireland.

and to:

Pants who writes of all things political and otherwise in her homeland of Oz where she recently returned after a 30 year absence.

and to:

Sparrowchat even though sometimes we don't agree, he writes so very well on the ills of the world today.

Dateline: Cornerbrook, Newfoundland

The best laid plans as dear Robbie Burns had it. And he wrote it for me. No reaching home today, I fear.

I drove from Moncton to Sydney, close to 500K yesterday. Vision, the huge new ferry greeted me at the dockside.



The Lobster Boat, a tiny restaurant patronized by locals only, for it is off the beaten track and tucked away down behind a garage was where I ate my supper - some local seafood. A few years ago, a kind young man pumping my gas told me about it and pledged me to secrecy. Well, no one reads this blog right? I did spot some locals pursing their lips at my out-of-town car licence plate.



I had no access to interwebz last night for a post. But the beautiful new ship ferried us over the broad Atlantic from Sydney, NS to Port-Aux-Basques. I had a cabin on the 8th deck with a panoramic window overlooking the harbour. Compared to the old ships, "Vision" is luxurious, with duvets on the beds, 2 desks, flat screen TV and remote lights. I was too tired to check out the on board spa. You can get an idea of the view here, looking out from my window, the cabin (and me!)reflected on the pane:






The captain announced before we hit port at 7.00 a.m. that there might be a problem with wind for us drivers when we disembarked as it had reached 100k/hr on the mountains.

Oh my. In a little Echo that was a real challenge and very frightening. Ever been caught in a place where you don't know whether to go back or press forward to the next big town? That was me in a nutshell. Crawling along at 60, buffeted by winds and large trucks and those careless SUVs that throw a flood in your face every time they screech past is a life appreciating experience. Oh, did I mention the pelting, horizontal rain to add to my fear and misery?

I get to Cornerbrook and the wind dies down a bit and I think, hey, I can press on. But then the heavens give another burp and down pours a blizzard. I'm serious. Snow. Lots. Melting into floods on the warmish ground but managing to freeze in long icicles to the windows of my car. I'm slow sometimes but I eventually get the message.

I spot a Comfort Inn at the edge of Cornerbrook. I wheel in. Get out. Kiss the soggy ground. I repress an overwhelming urge to waltz with the receptionist.

"What brings you here darlin'?" she asks as she registers me in at 11.00 a.m.

"Oh," I say casually, waiting for my heart rate to go down to 100, "Some sightseeing."