FISHBOWL MAGAZINE APRIL 2015

SALT SPRING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE April 2015 - FISSUE #80

FREE & EASY

Stagecoach Theatre presents

JAMES and the GIANT PEACH • 7

Barb’s Artist Feature

Angelo Scaia • 8 April Calendar of

STUFF to do on the ROCK • 9 Salt Spring Folk Club presents

BUFFY ST. MARIE • 10

email us today at thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com

6

Celebrating

YEARS and 80 ISSUES of the

FISHBOWL

2013 SMALL BUSINESS of the YEAR!

Like us on Facebook at The Fishbowl Magazine

6

On Our Cover

Celebrating

YEARS

& Café new hours coming soon!

Tuesday-Friday 8-5pm Saturday 9-3pm | Sun & Mon Closed

Gasoline Alley 778.353.2253

Genevieve Price - Owner & Price is Right Product Reviews Dorothy Price - Yoga For Everyone John Bateman - Bateman Has Issues Sean Hogan - Landlocked in Fur/Kind Paws Mel Divers - Mel It Over Jenny Redpath - Jen’ll Tell Ya Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx - The Singing Amma

and 80 ISSUES!

Fishbowl is proud to celebrate 6 years and 80 issues of being Salt Spring Island’s #1 source for Arts, Entertainment and Culture.

We would like to thank our readers, advertisers, writers and designers for being contributing factors to our success as a community initiative.

On our cover this month is our beloved Fishbowl team.

They are all superstars in our eyes. Listed from top to bottom left to right: Peter Vincent - Citizen At Large Dave Lettinga - Imagine That Graphics Tina Kempling - Imagine That Graphics Dr. Patrick Callas - Island Health Notes Karen Jesson - Imagine That Graphics Marsha Moreau - Marsha’s Book Reviews Missing From Photo: Stephanie Rhodes - Fishbowl Owner Matt O’Connor - Mad Coast

In loving memory of late columnists Brady Thomson (The Un-Real Estate News) and Ken Rouleau (Behind The News) who are off in that big Fishbowl in the sky.

We at The Fishbowl look forward to providing Salt Spring with many more years of fun filled pages and excellent personalized customer service. We pride ourselves on being community oriented, supporting local events and providing rates that small business can afford. Thank you for supporting us too. It’s a pleasure!

we get

around

Thomas Vikander in Lappland Sweden

with his Fishbowl Magazine Thanks Thomas!

Send your travels with the Fishbowl to thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com

FISHBOWL

Scopes Brought to you by our own in-house astrologer who now goes by her numerologically correct name of “Ya Righta.”

Aries: Next year we will try to remind you that staging

sponsored by:

HIGH FIVE

a murder is not an appropriate April Fools’Day prank.

Taurus: People will have trouble taking anything you say seriously today or any other day of the year.

Gemini: People never would have fallen for your April Fools’pregnancy prank if it wasn’t for your reckless promiscuity.

Hours: 10am-6pm, 7 days a week

Cancer:

No prank anyone pulls on you this April Fools’ Day could be worse than anything that’s already happened to you this year.

Leo:

Most people want to unfriend you on Facebook, but your pictures and status updates help them feel better about themselves.

Virgo: Stop assuming that a certain someone not responding to your texts means they want you to send about 15 to 20 more until they do.

Libra:

Fact: Women spend more time thinking about what men are thinking than men actually spend thinking.

Scorpio:

Let’s just break it down for you Scorpio. Unless you tripped and smacked your face on the treadmill, no one wants to hear about your workout.

Sagittarius: You have a type. It’s people that don’t want to date you.

How’s that working for you so far?

Restoration can be a wonderful thing and the complete restoration of the infamous

Blue Imp Rocking Horse from Centennial Park is no different!

The Salt Spring Parks & Recreation Board approached Mike Fraser of Mike Fraser Auto Repair, about taking on the restoration of this iconic local playground staple. Fraser agreed that it was a piece of history, worthy of being preserved. Many great memories are heard from community members and tourists alike regarding that horse.

It is with sincere appreciation we pay gratitude to the following for their generous donations of time and materials towards this project.

Mike & Calvin Fraser of Mike Fraser Auto Repair - Body work & Paint

Capricorn:

Todd Raynor of Fox Blasting Inc - Soda Blasting

Aquarius: Stop encouraging your pet’s debilitating separation anxiety

Salt Spring Auto Parts - Body & Paint Supplies

Pisces: I think you’ve again mistaken your Facebook status for your therapist.

Janet Cliff - Paint Detail

Your month will go so well that you may even be able to tolerate a minor inconvenience. in order to boost your self-esteem.

Are you New

to SSI? Having a Baby? Getting Married?

Don’t miss your opportunity for a great welcome wagon visit.

Call Jenny today for your greeting, free gifts & useful info 250-653-9222 or email langdonjennifer5@gmail.com

Dale Dow - Labour

T H E F I S H B O W L - A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • PA G E F O U R

Price is Right

PRODUCT REVIEWS

by: Genevieve Price Sponsored by

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So I slipped my BALL OF FOOT shoe inserts into the shoes and headed out to my event.

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PETER VINCENT

CITIZEN at LARGE

La Dolce Vita, Saltspring Style

A couple of friends have a charming little ceremony. Every night after work, they pour themselves a straight shot of tequila (in those thick Mexican shot glasses with the blue rim, which are actually double shots,) touch glasses and “down the hatch,” celebrating another day in the life.

It has always been a tough personal challenge on the rock. With few of the diversions available to those who live in Victoria or Vancouver (or hell, even Crofton), Saltspringers often resort to the bacchanalian hobbies of alcohol, recreational drugs, and adultery, eventually resulting in spontaneous acts of erratic behaviour. Fully grown professionals have been known to don paper fairy wings and give impromptu roller staking performances on our downtown streets. Zealots with a cause have been filmed tossing symbolic tea sacks into the harbour, or seen strapping handmade wooden kayaks to the roofs of their electric cars, intent on paddling around Grace Islet, righting perceived egregious wrongs.

Like the ocean tides, new recruits hit our shores every year in overloaded U-Hauls, only to be sucked back to the mainland bereft of spouse and bank account. To paraphrase Kristen Lewis, it’s “a jagged little paradise.”

If this Happy Isle is hard on the home front, it is even tougher on those dreamers who open a business. The mortality rate for brick and mortar stores is shocking. Restaurants come and go monthly. Saltspringers have been seen rattling locked doors on a Monday morning where a seemingly thriving business operated on Sunday. A derelict gas station stands in the heart of Ganges behind a chain link fence (not for months, but for years) serving as stark warning. It’s a tough racket on Saltspring Island.

But at the other end of the spectrum, success stories are also everywhere. I would be less than humble if I did not mention my own little start-up business, North End Fitness, which has been operating non-stop for twenty eight years.

This month, the Fishbowl Magazine celebrates its sixth year gracing Saltspring’s coffee shops and bookstores. That is something to celebrate. In my opinion, Saltspring anniversaries (personal and business) should be calculated in dog years. One year should count as seven.

So how has the Fishbowl Magazine survived six years in a cutthroat industry and capricious economy? How have they done it, working off a kitchen table succoured by little more than red wine and dark chocolate? Simple, really: creativity, enthusiasm, and a passion for our community. In the true spirit of Saltspring, the Fishbowl is free, and those who scribble Fishbowl columns scribble for free.

My partner and I have been conjoined at the hips for a mere seven months, which, given my advanced years and station in life, seems curious and somehow laughable.

Karen and I have reached an agreement. If anyone should ask (and they do) how long we have been together, we tell them we have just celebrated our fifth anniversary . . . we don’t mention the “dog years” part. In that canine spirit, happy 42nd, Fishbowl!

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New

Prix Fixe Menu

Now Available at the BISTRO at HASTINGS HOUSE Hastings House introduces new dining options at Zagat rated hotel…

Hastings House is embarking on a new course for 2015 by offering a Bistro Menu at the Living Room and Snug of the historic Manor House. Since opening as a hotel in 1980, the Dining Room has become renowned for its relaxed fine dining and exquisite food; the new culinary offerings at the Bistro will complement the fine dining experience. Award winning Chef Marcel Kauer and his culinary team introduced the evolving Prix Fixe menu this month, highlighting the freshest, locally sourced ingredients.

Chef Kauer says Bistro guests can enjoy the same high quality food they have come to expect at Hastings House, “We are excited to move forward with new culinary adventures; the Prix Fixe menu offers more choices at a different price point, but patrons can expect the same good food made from scratch daily in the kitchen.”

The Prix Fixe three-course menu teases with an appetizer course touting items such as Organic Carrot and Orange Bisque, Organic Garden Greens and Herbs topped with Goat Cheese Crouton, or West Coast Seafood Chowder – Crème Fraiche. As for the entrées, expect a Salt Spring Island Lamb Ragù, or Hastings House Schnitzel, along with a Fig & Pecan Ravioli to make their mark. For dessert a Chocolate Bread Pudding, Wild Island Blackberry Crème Brûlée or a Frozen White Chocolate and Lime Tart, round out the evolving menu.

Other enhancements at the Bistro include a new bar in the Living Room offering guests a variety of hand-crafted cocktails, spirits and a new wine menu. Wine director Milly Sinclair has designed a discerning wine program,“The wine list features a selection of new and interesting affordable wines, chosen specifically to complement our new Bistro Menu. With a renewed focus on beautiful fine wines from around the world, many in half bottle, combined with our collection of rare Bordeaux, Burgundy and top BC wines, our cellar is brimming with great bottles.”

Guests will enjoy exceptional gourmet fare in a stunning location and have the choice of ordering from the Fine Dining Menu or experiencing the new Bistro menu starting at $38 per meal. For those wanting to order items à la carte, this option will also be available from the Bistro menu. Watch for special food and wine pairing events throughout the season, along with weekly-featured wines by the glass. Discover new wines while enjoying Chef Marcel Kauer’s fresh, seasonal, local cuisine.

Marsha’s

Book

Reviews with Marsha Moreau

The Bees

by Laline Paull This is one of the most extraordinary books I have ever read. The Bees is playwright Laline Paull’s first novel and what a brave and intriguing novel it turns out to be. She takes us deep into the very heart of a hive, and describes the curious existence of Flora 717, born to the caste of the lowly sanitation worker. Flora 717 is special, capable of speech and individual thought. Unusual for a bee of her status, Flora 717 rises through the ranks and finds herself performing a variety of duties, which is fascinating for us as readers. We get to witness Flora 717 produce flow (Royal Jelly) in her time spent in the nursery. We read powerful, lyrical descriptions of her journeys as she ventures out of the hive in her role as a forager. We experience a taste of the magical dance of communication that occurs when the foragers return and share what “...this novel is so they’ve learned with the others. often referred to in the As we discover more and more context of other novels about Flora 717, and bee culture in because nobody knows general, we see many similarities how to categorize it.” between us and them. It is something both alien and familiar.

In time, and in keeping with Flora 717’s expanding consciousness, we are exposed to the dark side of this world. The bees have a motto “Accept, Obey and Serve”, and all are dutifully to perform the roles that are expected of them. The authoritarian structure of bee society does not lend itself to close examination of its flaws, as Flora 717 discovers. When Flora 717’s deeper purpose eventually becomes clear, she feels guilt and anxiety but ultimately must do what she believes is best for the hive as a whole.

This book draws many comparisons, and rightly so, to both Watership Down and Animal Farm in its anthropomorphic descriptions. There’s even the dystopian overtones of 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale. I believe this novel is so often referred to in the context of other novels because nobody knows how to categorize it. It’s thrilling and strange and educational. The author has done amazing research to create a realistic (though fictional) portrait of the inner lives of bees. There are sections that read like a naturalist’s guide and others that are pure descriptive poetry. In spite of some plot mis-steps (nobody’s perfect) this is a compelling, unusual, magical read. Long live the Queen.

On going at the same time from April 3rd to 12th at Mahon Hall: Easter Art Tour Feature Exhibit BARBRA EDWARDS, MARGIE KORRISON, NICOLA MORGAN, HELEN ORMISTON SMITH, MICHELA SORRENTINO

T H E F I S H B O W L - A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • PA G E S I X

Koji Yamaguchi on shamisen Japanese Garden Society presents A Tapestry of Japanese Sounds Vol. 2

tickets $20

on sale @ Salt Spring Books students $10 @ the door only children 12 and under are free

Mahon Hall

April 9th (Thurs) 2015 doors open 7:00 music starts 7:30 Chat with the musicians after the concert with tea and desserts

on taiko drums

Yoshihiko Fueki For information, please contact: info@saltspringjapanesegarden.com or 250-653-9778

A POWERFUL NEW

SOUND OF JAPAN

KOJI YAMAGUCHI and YOSHIHIKO FUEKI kick-off their North American tour on Apr. 9th playing shamisen and taiko drums like you’ve never heard before.

The Tsugaru Shamisen is a traditional 3-string instrument with roots in Northern Japan. Known as the “music of the Japanese soul,” this shamisen has its own unique sound and style. In Koji’s hands, it will certainly move and fascinate you.

Let yourself be drawn to the empowering sounds of the taiko drum, an instrument that embodies the spiritual essence and heartbeat of Japan. Taiko master Yoshiko will carry you on its exhilarating waves.

Whether you have experienced shamisen and taiko before, or are new to this centuries-long tradition, this is a night you do not want to miss

Mahon Hall April 9th Doors open at 7pm. Performance at 7:30pm.

Tickets: $20 at Salt Spring Books. Students $10 at the door only.

Kids under 12 free.

Mahon Hall with be hosting the Easter Art Tour feature exhibit. Come early to enjoy the exhibit. Stay after to meet the musicians. Refreshments available.

All proceeds in support of Heiwa Garden in the Peace Park.

Come enjoy a fun-filled StageCoach Theatre School season-end show, featuring students performing improv, followed by their headlining production of “James and the Giant Peach.”

Don’t miss the fabulous costumes created

by Michele MacKenzie, animation effects by Cindy Jacobsen and the production design by artistic director Adina Hildebrandt. Additionally, Digital Artistry students will present a short film, and a silent auction will be in progress in the ArtSpring lobby.

StageCoach would like to thank Country Grocer and the Lion’s Club for their financial sponsorship of their program, and the many volunteers and parents who have helped make this production happen.

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Jen’ll TellYa

Barb’s ArtIST of the Month

by: Jenny Redpath, BScn Registered Nurse

Sexuality is part of who we are as humans, and contains many facets; genitals and chromosomes are the biological aspects of a human being, but there are also parts of sexuality that are influenced and created by our social construct, such as sexual expression and sexual exploitation. Despite knowing this, a strange shift happens in our culture as people age: we tend to strip people of their sexuality the older they get. The good news is that most people continue to be sexually active throughout their lives. The media does a good job of hiding this fact, however, by showing only young, fit and usually heterosexual people being sexual.

There are a number of reasons why we desexualize older adults: as a culture we do not value sexuality in older adults; we do not find older adults as attractive as spry young folks who are in their reproductive years. We also continue to only recognize sex as a reproductive act; those out of their reproductive years are engaging in sex for pleasure, and it is still difficult for many people to embrace the idea of sex for pleasure.

There are bodily changes with aging that often go without recognition, except in Viagra and Cialis ads. As they grow older, people with penises will experience an increase in time between erections, known as the refractory period. In some relationships, this is an advantage as the definition of sexual activity be expanded to include other types of sexual activities, focus less on the penis, and more on other erogenous areas.

For people with ovaries, menopause occurs at some point in midlife usually ranging from 40 to 60 years of age. Menopause occurs when there is a decrease in the hormones estrogen and progesterone and is classified as menopause when a person has not had a period in 12 consecutive months. Often women going through peri-menopause will experience changes in their menstruation for years before menopause happens. Another side effect of the decrease in hormones is a decrease of vaginal lubrication, which can greatly impact sexual activity. Using lubrication (which is great for people of any age!), or topical hormones can provide the slipperiness needed for pleasure during sexual activity.

People post-menopause coming out of long relationships are also at risk of transmitting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). In fact they are one of the growing demographics increasing in STI transmission. STI awareness and safer sex messaging has really only increased in the past 30 years, so for folks who have been in relationships for more than 30 years, they may not have the same information around using condoms for STI prevention, rather than only contraception. And, again the perception that older adults are no longer sexual beings, STI information is not being provided to them.

Regardless of age, the largest impact on sexual activity usually results from partner status. If someone has a partner, they are more likely to have sex. What I find interesting are the studies that suggest how beneficial orgasms are for brain and body health especially as we age. For those who are not partnered, or who would like additional pleasure, self-love or masturbation may be the answer. Womyns’ Ware in Vancouver has a wealth of information as well as products for the diverse needs of the older demographic. Other kinds of touching like, cuddling, hugs, and holding hands are other examples of how we can show affection to those we love, it doesn’t just have to be about sex.

Ever thought about volunteering with a non-profit organization that aims at healthy sexuality, sexual health education and access to inexpensive birth control? Do you value confidentiality and sensitivity in our community? Well Opt is looking for you! We need receptionists and counselling positions. Training is provided. Please contact us. We’re on Facebook and Twitter @optbc, too!

Clinic Hours: Monday 4:30-6:30pm 134 McPhillips (above the Core Inn) 250.537.8786 opt.ssi@gmail.com optionsforsexualhealth.org

Angelo

This collection is titled “Cuban Eyes”. This group of photos was taken in December 2013, in and around Santa Clara, Cuba. I’ve wanted to see Cuba for a long time, and in 2013 we planned a trip to go with our kids and a group of close friends. I knew I wanted to do something different photographically in Cuba, something other than cars, cigars and architecture. Also I needed to challenge myself, learn something new and push my comfort zone. I’ve never been drawn to any particular style or subject of photography.

I honestly love every aspect of it and look forward to furthering my knowledge and understanding for years to come. I have always admired the underdog story of Cuban History, and somehow wanted to capture that. I’ve done photography of people when travelling but always from a distance. This time I wanted to get close. When I thought what a lot of Cuban people have seen in their lives and how to show their experiences, I knew I had to get even closer. When photographing people you don’t know it’s important to first make them comfortable. I did this by asking questions about their lives and in turn sharing things about myself and my family. For these photos by asking them to take a photo of their “eyes”rather than just of “them”it helped them open up and share their honest self.

Scaia

About the Photographer: Angelo Scaia was born in Nelson, BC and now Salt Spring Island home. His interest and passion for photography began when he was 14 and continues to fascinate him to this day. He currently does wedding photography and creative concept shoots throughout the year. He has recently come to the realization that it’s more important to maintain photography as a form of expression for himself, rather than for an income. “I just want to maintain a healthy balance and always remember that art should be fun and enjoyable and not stressful.”

Sponsored by

See Angelo’s art All Of April at Barb’s Bakery & Bistro www.barbsbakeryandbistro.ca

visit our Facebook page for more daily updates on Salt Spring events

www.facebook.com/ TheFishbowlMagazineSSI

April stuff to do on the rock

T H E F I S H B O W L - A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • PA G E T E N

Buffy Sainte-Marie Salt Spring Folk Club Presents:

Buffy Sainte-Marie’s bold new album, Power in the Blood, begins where it all started more than 50 years ago, with a contemporary version of “It’s My Way,” the title track of her 1964 debut. Its message, about the road to self-identity and the conviction to be oneself, still resonates with the Cree singer-songwriter, activist, educator, visual artist, and winner of countless awards (Oscar, Juno, and Golden Globe, among them).

Perhaps you know Sainte-Marie from her 1960s protest anthems (“Universal Soldier”), open-hearted love songs (“Until It’s Time for You to Go”), incendiary powwow rock (“Starwalker”), or the juggernaut pop hit “Up Where We Belong,” which SainteMarie co-wrote and Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes sang for the soundtrack to An Officer and a Gentleman.

One of her earliest classics, “Cod’ine,” a harrowing account of addiction well ahead of its time, was covered by everyone from Janis Joplin to Donovan to Courtney Love. Or maybe you remember Sainte-Marie from her five years on the television show “Sesame Street” beginning in the mid-’70s.

Whatever the case, every song and every era has revealed new and distinctive shades of an artist revered for her pioneering and chameleon ways. There was no mold from which Buffy SainteMarie emerged; she created her own, ripened from experiences in both her head and her heart.

Find the FISHBOWL ONLINE!

you can now easily access The Fishbowl Magazine issues online at

issu.com/fishbowlmagazine

It’s never been easier to find out what’s happening on Salt Spring Island!

Bateman Has

Issues

starring the most awesome John Bateman If you have been on Salt Spring for more than 20 minutes, you have probably considered hitchhiking. In the 20 years since I first set foot on this island (can you say “local”?), I have successfully hitchhiked once. And that was out of absolute necessity. I’m not fundamentally against it. It’s just that from a young age I have been told to never take rides from strangers.

Predictably, Salt Spring is different from every other place in the world when it comes to hitchhiking. It’s not because this is an island, which implies a certain amount of security. No, Salt Spring has taken this mode of transportation to an entirely new level that is unheard of in other popular hitchhiking destinations.

I rarely pick up hitchhikers. This is usually because I am either on the phone or simply can’t slow down fast enough. Over my legally licensed years, I have blew past enough shoulder-folk to make a few informed observations. Not surprisingly, Salt Springers have made thumbing rides an art-isan.

Over the hundreds of years that people have been hitchhiking here, a seemingly complex, non-verbal form of communication has evolved. To the average rookie (can you say, “not local”?), these various facial gyrations, hand signals and body language may seem confusing, but I am here to cast a light on your cultural darkness.

If you are driving past a hitchhiker, the first trick they use is to attempt to make eye contact.

Although this seems like a friendly and innocent gesture, make no mistake, it’s a ploy to get you to lift your foot slightly off the gas pedal. If that doesn’t stop you, the potential travel companion might resort to mouthing words like, “Short trip,”“Please,” and “I hurt my knee”.

“Salt Springers have made thumbing rides an art-isan”

If it seems like you are going to ignore these first attempts at contact, you can expect hand gestures to start. At this point the hitcher has decided to up the ante by placing their hands close together to express that they don’t need to go far. If that doesn’t work, they will bring their hands fully together to express that they are now commanding god to make you stop. If it becomes obvious that you have no plans to stop, they will either ignore you, wave to you in false approval or turn and look at you like you are insane to not pick them up, regardless if you allow cats in your car.

Hand signals aren’t exclusive to hitchhikers. Drivers also have subtle ways of lying by telling them that they simply can’t stop. One way to avoid the awkwardness of driving with a stranger is to place your finger and thumb close together to indicate that you are only driving a short distance. This is enhanced by tossing your head to the side and mouthing the word, “I’m so, so, so sorry”. Another subtle way to non-violently deflect road-people is to honk your horn and wave in the opposite direction.

I know that picking up extra passengers and their animals may not be the most comfortable thing to do for new island drivers. However, there is something very important to consider; Hitchhiking is a rich, cultural Salt Spring tradition, steeped in camaraderie, adventure, fear and guilt.

Find me on Facebook at batemanhasissues

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kind

paws with Sean Hogan

Kindness Begets Kindness In his millennial book, Strolling with Our Kin (2000), Marc Bekoff wrote, “Compassion and empathy for animals begets compassion and empathy for humans. Cruelty towards animals begets cruelty toward humans.” This pretty much is my living mantra.

I must have learned early on in life that kindness encouraged more kindness.

As a child, when it came to animals, “non-harming” and “friendly” were natural ways for me to think. I thought all animals were my friends, and more so, I felt a responsibility to show them I could be trusted and relied upon. It didn’t really feel like a big deal or some kind of special talent of mine.

This is true for me today, four decades later. Maybe, I intuited then as I do now, my connection to animals is more than skin-deep.

There is a felt-sense of being family, maybe cousins, certainly “brothers of a different mother.” I am loyal to our relatedness, human and non-human animals that we are. Inside of me is the conviction of a warrior that any good I do for the world returns to me as good for “What are we creating myself. Likewise, each harm I cause and how are our actions in the world, returns to me as harm speaking for what we to myself. I do not want to harm my believe in?” family, nor myself.

Call it Karma, the Golden Rule, even the Law of Attraction, but if we are concerned at all about things in the world, we need to look at our own contribution to the madness. What are we creating and how are our actions speaking for what we believe in? Are the results in harmony with our intention?

Working closely with animals has allowed me to be mindful and attend to my own energy first so that I am calm and connected.

When I’m in harmony with my intention not to cause harm, this is what manifests. This strategy has translated well for me into safe, trusting, and sometimes bonded relationships with cats and dogs, some of whom were initially assessed as “unsocial toward humans.”

My kinship and closeness to animals calls on me today to speak on their collective behalf when it comes to ways animals want to be treated, what they are valued for, and how their future and ours are intertwined. Animals want humans to know that they do not want to be harmed, neglected, valued only for their flesh or usefulness, used for entertainment or sold as food. It is in our best interests to fix the problems of animal cruelty, neglect, and exploitation. Can you imagine a world without animals?

Since its launch in February 2015 as the BC SPCA’s Million Acts of Kindness campaign, there have been 51,000+ recorded acts of kindness toward animals. That’s amazing when you think about it. When even one kind act can change the life of an animal, it is remarkable that we can account for so many more through this unique website. Sign up today -- millionacts.ca. -- and join the kindness movement.

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For Everyone with Salt Spring Island teacher Dorothy Price

Yoga

YOGA & ENTHUSIASM! ...IS IT IN YOU? Ho hum....not feeling very “enthusiastic” today? Too tired, bored and uninspired to be enthusiastic? That is how you may feel some days but did you know that lighting your inner fire of enthusiasm can actually help you break out of the “tired, bored, uninspired” treadmill?

Enthusiasm sparks excitement inside you that makes you “wake up and live!”

The origin of the word “enthusiasm” is from Greek and means “God within” (entheos). It refers to a divine spark or fire that burns within the breast of those with a passion for a cause, job, or life in general. It is immensely powerful.

Ever notice how some people seem to have an inner glow of enthusiasm that makes you wonder “How did they get like that?” Their enthusiastic glow is contagious.

They seem happy and less affected by life’s ups and downs, and failures. You admire them. Perhaps you think they were born that way...and perhaps they were. But did you know that you can become one of those enthusiastic people?

Being enthusiastic is a conscious choice. Here are some ideas to help you embrace life and light your torch!

• Find something in your life you feel happy and grateful for or feel passionate about. Express to the world the happiness and vitality you feel for your life, your job, your hobbies and the people in your life.

• If you want a quality, act as if you already had it. If you want to be courageous or enthusiastic, act as if you already are.

• Stay young at heart.

• Carefully watch the movie of “Your Life” and stay interested to see how the story unfolds. Realize you can affect the story.

• Gratitude Journals help to focus on the positive and appreciate life • Improve yourself through education, reading good books, learning a skill or how to dance!

• Hang out with optimistic friends.

• If you don’t have the job of your dreams try to make the best of the situation.

Make a plan and take action to take you to the job of your dreams.

• Look upon your life, and everything you do, as a wonderful adventure. You will naturally inspire others.

• As the origin of the word eludes to; envision a brightly burning flame in the area of your heart to help carry you forward. Enthusiasm needs to be stoked just like a fire, otherwise it will die out.

• Exercise. Eat a healthy diet. Get excited about taking care of yourself!

• Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, be truly focused. Reinforce constantly with positive self-talk and positive affirmations. Imagine you have already accomplished them!

Being enthusiastic may be a very different quality than you are used to “wearing” but why not try ENTHUSIASM on for size? It might be a good fit!

See you on the mat! ~ Dorothy “One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man who has it for 30 years who makes success of his life.”

Dorothy teaches classes & retreats locally & worldwide.

Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.653.4655

MAD COAST

T H E F I S H B O W L - J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 with • PA GMatt E TEN

O’Connor

Heteronormativity is the belief that all people fulfill stereotypical male or female gender roles and compulsory heterosexuality.

Society as a whole instills in us that any sexual deviant, anyone who is not straight, needs to “come out.”

This alone says it all. Everyone is assumed straight until they insinuate or prove otherwise or perhaps until “the phase” has lasted too long to be written off as experimentation.

Heterosexuality is the norm, the expected, the “grow up, marry a good man with a good job, buy a house with a white picket fence, pop out two kids” dream! The rest is simply queer.

As a child, my physical and behavioural attributes stuck out like a naked nun in the Catholic school regime and sometimes I wonder if I had suppressed my true nature, to fit in with the rest, would I have boycotted bullying and come happily into myself at a later time. The truth is, I had no concept of sexuality at that time. I can’t say I’ve got anything set in stone now either. What made me stand out had nothing to do with sexuality. Children do not have sexuality. To make accusations about a person’s orientation is wrong regardless of their age but absolutely inappropriate in the case of a child. Some might even say perverse.

Despite the name-calling I assumed I was a normal child “Grade school is a and I was but I am not straight breeding ground for and although I claimed to be, internalized homophobia.” I never was. I was defensive when anyone made accusations because…when are accusations ever good? I learned at a very young age that having a crush on someone of the same gender as me was a cardinal sin.

Grade school is a breeding ground for internalized homophobia.

You only have to hear someone called “faggot” once to know that gay is something you never wanted to be.

My world was small at that age, the only “gay” people I knew were the harmful stereotypical “representations” in the media and I certainly was not the funny gay best friend who all the girls asked for fashion advice. Considering the only universally appropriate queer identity did not fit my specs I figured it was the only way; I had been scared straight. Well, I denied being gay for many years, which is nearly as tragic in my queer opinion.

Of course, we recognize that human sexuality along with gender is fluid, ever changing, and something that as mere mortals we cannot change. It is important to keep in mind the infinite variations of individual identities that exist in terms of both gender and sexuality and while education takes time and effort; interest, acknowledgment, acceptance, and respect are easy choices.

Heteronormativity will exist as long as the majority of the population is heterosexual. Who’s to say if this will be the case until the end of time but there is nothing wrong with that as long as LGBTQ people aren’t discriminated against. How do we change the mindset that homosexuality is deviant? How do we stop people from hating themselves before having the opportunity to know themselves?

MEL byitMelinda OVER Parks-Divers Feeling Crazy?

Hit the Road Ahhhh, spring break. I guess a number of you folks packed your bags and headed off to a nice sunny beach somewhere, this past winter, right?

I have travelled so little in my life to be honest.

I went to Jamaica once (which is another story) and we used to drive across the U.S back in the day when we lived back east. The last time we made that trip, we scooted up to Salt Spring and that was it, we parked it here to stay!

The reason for our trips across the U.S didn’t really start as a family vacation or an exotic holiday. I’ll be honest, I was going crazy in a sense. We were going through some challenges and my husband had the insight to acknowledge that a change of scenery was probably the best medicine for me. So, we packed our van one snowy January day. We loaded the kids, and off we went!

I can barely believe what nerve we had at the time. We had very little money, no credit cards, a mediocre vehicle, and a need to get away that outweighed it all!

We drove straight down south from Toronto area. We barely stopped (other than an awesome day in Nashville) until we got to warmer weather. Texas. That is when we started west.

My then seven year old daughter kept a diary and to this day I remember her little drawing of a cowboy complete with cowboy hat and boots, with the words, “Today I saw a real cowboy” written below it.

Every restaurant that we ordered tea in, the waitress would ask “You want lemon with that?”We would reply, “No, milk and sugar, please.” and they would look at us like we were coo-coo! I thought they were coo-coo for not having tea how it was truly intended!

It was the third night on the road and we entered Arizona. We stopped and picked up some beers and some snacks as we left the freeway following signs that indicated a State Park was near.

I remember seeing a cactus, just like the ones in the Wile E Coyote cartoons and it struck me then at that moment...Here I was hundreds of miles from home, from all my big problems and worries, and they all felt so tiny here in the shadow of this giant cactus on this red mountain somewhere on the planet far away.

We sat, with sleeping children in the van, on the hill in the moonlight, watching the stretch of freeway curl its way into the horizon. We listened to its hum and I felt more alive, and more present then I ever had in my life up to that moment.

I felt the truth in my heart that happiness does not come from the things that happen to you, but rather your attitude.

Looking up the stars in that sky that night made me feel so tiny and insignificant as the universe revealed itself as so mind blowingly huge! And yet, that made me feel huge as I was a part of all the magic that it is.

The rest of that trip across New Mexico, Arizona, and into California I reflected on how happiness is a decision you make. I decided to be happy. To be content. To trust. To trust that everything, no matter how bleak it looked, would be ok. That you just get through it.

It gives me peace of mind when I am feeling a little stressed, that somewhere out there far away from me, there is a red mountain in the middle of the desert covered in cacti, maybe some spring blooms too, and a winding freeway full of people coming and going. Living and breathing. And all are part of this magical universe, equally like myself. And how we perceive this life we are living starts with our attitude and some decisions we make.

So, if you find yourself feeling a little coo-coo, I highly suggest you hit the road and get some perspective. There will be a million reasons why you can’t...but just do it anyway! Life is short, and memories stick.

TT H LL L-- -O OI LA BR E2 R 45 •G EP AT G H ETEHFFEII SSFH H OBW W J ACPNTRU Y I SBBHO OW 0 1250•1PA H EI R TE EL EENV E N

the

Singing Amma*

Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx, ECE

Nurturing, empowering & educating families for over 30 years *amma = grandmother in Icelandic Dear singing amma, We are planning on getting our little guy a potty as he is a fabulous mimicker and would likely love to just sit on his own ‘seat’ in the bathroom. What suggestions do you have for potty introduction? signed, Ready-to-Go Parents! dear Ready-already!

A fabulous point is suggested here: that mimicking is an integral key to mastering any new ability a child will undertake - toileting included.

I love, too, that you refrain from using the term “toilet training.” I have a serious dislike for that terminology because, in reality, children are not in need of “training.” Our young begin as enthusiastic little beings, eager to learn simply by watching and imitating. Let us use their innate willingness by “offering opportunities.”

Bringing your little one into the bathroom with you is an obvious, though much over-looked, first step. Observing you use the toilet is a hugely informative process for a young human!

A potty can be “introduced” at any time - even much earlier than a child “show’s readiness” - by simply placing it in the bathroom and saying, “This is where you get to sit when the pee or poo is coming!” Make it sound fun, exciting, but not like pressure.

Pressure, or an attitude of “training,” can cause this whole process to backfire and become a power-struggle.

When you go to the toilet invite them to sit on theirs. Always respect a “no” when you get one. This process can be as much about developing trust and comfort as it is about bodily control.

There is a mind-body connection that needs to develop before a child can “tell when they need to go.” Even infants will “tell” with body and facial expressions long before they can verbalize their need, or even know what the sensations mean. Notice when those “tells” occur and offer “The pee is coming! I can help you sit on the potty so the pee can go in it!” If it doesn’t work out that way every time - and it won’t! - just keep your responses neutral, informative, and always positive.

Send your parenting questions to: the.singing.amma@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/thesingingamma Could a private session with the singing amma be helpful for you and your family? email: lisasigurgeirsonmaxx@gmail.com to book your session today!

T H E F I S H B O W L - A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • PA G E F O U R T E E N

NATURAL HEALTH NOTES with DR. PATRICK CALLAS

LYME DISEASE:

Under-diagnosed, Debilitating and on Salt Spring Island

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I started to see patients with mystery illnesses and debility who had been suffering for years or even decades.

One was so weak they had to be carried to the washroom, another had terrible digestion and brain fog, and yet another with severe pain and a recurrent blistering rash the doctors had mislabelled “chronic shingles”. These symptoms pointed toward Lyme disease. With treatment they all improved. Some very dramatically.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease starts as an acute infection with a bacteria named Borrelia burgdorferi.

Initial symptoms are flu-like symptoms, fatigue, headaches, joint pains and a characteristic bullseye rash. However, symptoms can be vague and the rash occurs only in 20-30% of those infected. These symptoms may occur within days to weeks of the tick bite. If not treated effectively, Lyme disease becomes a chronic infection.

Now we understand that Lyme disease also comes with several other co-infectors, such as babesia, bartonella, and erhlichia. Borrelia and its little friends do what bacteria do best: mutate and adapt. Good for their survival, but miserable for us. This makes lab diagnosis even more difficult.

Borrelia are spirochetes: corkscrew-shaped bacteria that like to burrow into things.

Notably they burrow into joint and brain tissues. The only other spirochete to infect humans causes syphilis. Syphilis if left untreated progresses into neurosyphilis, meaning it infects the brain. Lyme disease if left untreated also progresses, and can get into the nervous system very rapidly in some cases.

Current conventional standards of care are inadequate. I have seen one patient who exhibited the characteristic bullseye rash of an acute Lyme infection given only 3 days of antibiotics, and another patient given 7 days. Even in conservative medical literature, antibiotic treatment is recommended at 14 days. More progressive research shows that 21-28 days gives the best results for stopping this nasty infection in its tracks.

Furthermore, there are numerous natural supports, such as herbs, minerals, and highdose probiotics to support the immune system in fighting this infection.

Treatment for Lyme Disease: My Approach Treatment varies greatly from patient to patient, depending on the duration and severity of their infection. Typically I use a combination of long-term prescription and herbal antibiotics combined with immune boosting herbs and supplements. There are also many natural supports to help reduce the pain, inflammation, toxicity and the many imbalances that a Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD) infection can cause.

In 2014, Naturopathic Doctors with their prescriptive rights were granted access to intravenous (IV) antibiotics solely for the use in treating Lyme disease. This allowance speaks to the major need for proper, progressive care of CLD patients.

We’re safe from Lyme Disease on Salt Spring, right?

Wrong. I have confirmed one case of Lyme disease on Salt Spring myself, treated another patient who was previously diagnosed and know of two other people who were infected on-island.

For more information on Lyme Disease, visit my website www.islandnaturalhealth.com or follow me on Facebook DrPatrickCallas.

cOLUMNISTS: John Bateman • Dorothy Price • Peter Vincent Dr. Patrick Callas • Marsha Moreau • Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx Sean Patrick Hogan • Jenny Redpath • Melinda Parks-Divers Matt O’Connor • Lucina Sliwowska Dorothy teaches classes & retreats locally & worldwide. sponsors: Mrs. Clean Laundromat • Pharmasave Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.653.4655 Barb’s Bakery & Bistro • Hawthorne Hill Gravel Sales Valcourt & Sons Roofing • John Lefebvre THE FISHBOWL is brought to you by Stephanie Rhodes & Genevieve Price along with the following local columnists & sponsors.

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around Jim McCluskey and Faye Courtenay amongst the crowd at the Taj Mahal, Agra, India with their Fishbowl!

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“Miss Caledonia is a winner” THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT

Miss Caledonia A dramatic comedy about a farm girl’s escape to become a movie star!

Monday, April 13 – 7:30pm Adults: $23 Youth: $5

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