new running (flying) shoes

their name is "asics gel-pulse" and they look like this:
i bought them today in the running store called "the running room" at denman and georgia, right off the stanley park.. usually it takes me hours, days, even months to make a decision on which shoes to buy. this time it was smooth; i tried three different models and i chose these ones. so far, i am so happy with them! they don't run, they fly! i have never been so pleased with shoe purchase... we will see how far will they take me...

ucluelet expeditions in colorful pictures

about to jump in.. mind you, it's february!!

cold? not really, the beach feels like early summer.. but water! freezing!!


jesse and i climbed where we shouldn't have.. but nobody told us it was that risky! the tide was coming in and we were out there on the rocks, happily taking pictures. five minutes more and we would have to get wet to get back to the shore.

with jesse, sidney and her sisters, on a wild pacific trail, close to the ucluelet's lighthouse.

on the ferry from vancouver to nanaimo. it was a little stormy, but the captain did everything he could to keep us dry and alive. :-)

"panie prezesie, melduję wykonanie zadania" poland's new colony at the wickanninnish beach between ucluelet and tofino. not bad, eh?


wickanninnish beach.

do you know where ucluelet is?

find it on the map! you can read more information on ucluelet here.

what the heck did i do there?

a. watched one of my friend's sister wrestle in an island-wide wrestling tournament.
b. jumped into the pacific ocean.
c. ran along the west coast pacific trail (twice!).
d. climbed the rocks off the shore with jesse and then learnt we had risked our lives.
e. colonized part of the wickenninsh beach for poland.
f. ate ice-cream at goats on the roof market in coombs.
g. had a fantastic break from olympics, vancouver and studying!!

it is truly one of the most appealing places i have been to. so similar to flekke in many ways: right off the shore of a majestic water, rocky, wild, fresh. i could even feel the difference in the quality of air when running. the life seemed peaceful and slow. far away from the big city business. spectacular views everywhere. ahh.. i wish we had stayed longer for now i really need to get back to work...

the distance to olympics

i am experiencing a truly spring olympic games. vancouver is spectacular! very charming, indeed. the cherry trees are blossoming and the sun is shining. no clouds. i run just in shorts and eat sushi sitting on a bare ground in a park. grouse mountain slopes on which i still skied in april two years ago are green and i doubt there is any good skiing possible up there. but the olympics are still going on and it is, i have to admit, somewhat exciting to be in the city while the olympics are happening (especially that poland won their third medal today, which makes it the best record in the history of winter olympic appearences!).

i feel i am close enough to all the olympic madness, i can go there, feel it, touch it. it's only a bus ride away, no time difference, no jetlag, perhaps a little bit of hangover, but that is another story. downtown is buzzling with life and different national colours. it's especially fun to watch the excitement accompaning a hockey game. i also live about 10 minute walk from pacific colloseum, the venue where the figure skating and short track speed skating events are held. i am definietely close enough. but i am not too close, i am not caught up in the midst of it, as i expected, and perhaps feared a little. i am far enough from all the madness too. i manage to keep myself far enough: i study in my basement, explore the town with lara, bike and run on the streets that few olympians have heard of. it's good this way for i feel i am taking most out of the two completely clashing world - vancouver with and without the olympic games.

23rd