Day 84

saturday, august 2, 2008

after a last homecooked breakfast and the ferry ride to the mainland, we got back to camp a little after noon. the band starfield was on our ferry and they sat in a corner near the cafeteria towards the front of the boat. i had wanted to go talk to them and ask them about their tour stop back home, but got lost reading and chilling with the people we were returning with.

the vibe of coming back to camp was a strange one and, although people had only been gone three days, reunions were noticeably animated. with most everyone back 'home', as it has become so natural for everyone to say, the entire staff boarded the buses to have pizza and go swimming at an indoor waterpark/pool thing. between water polo and 'surfing' in the wave pool and going down slides, a good time was had by all. after this, we went to a beach and had ice cream while many of the hundred plus staff shared around the fire about current struggles or joys or changes happening in their lives throughout the first half of the summer of camps.

Day 55

this is for friday, july 4th. i'm american today. there isn't too big a difference, i don't think, between north americans here. canadian's long o's in words like process and progress and sorry still stick out though.

i'm starting this post early today. the mid-afternoon sun is bright and the rumbles and toots and chatter of buses are fading. outside my window, q-town is empty and silent. the field is clearing of people and the green grass seems to yawn as the last of stragglers trickle away towards the road. the buses are moving. kids are hanging out the windows, some waving and some crying, while a handful girls reach out to touch their counselors' hands one last time in the final stage of the process of goodbye.

after our weekly jones soda toast in our media office, i walked outside my office and heard birds. the first week of camp is over.

we had the rest of the day off before camps begin again tomorrow. me, paul, and shaun and rode with another dude to victoria. = we wandered around and skated the streets and sidewalks, went to a bookstore, and played some pool at a chill public billiards hall in the middle of downtown. we had been yearning for a chill place to go to that might have couches and a good atmosphere and this place totally exceeded our expectations once we settled in and heard the beatles and counting crows and frank sinatra's music being played.