Ask Geny

Of Sharks, Snakes and Sunburns.

Edward — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:31:12 +0000

Geny in Queensland

Where else could I be talking about other than our good friend Australia? The place where you are no safer on land, than you are in the water, or with the locals at the bar. I’ve provided some first hand mistakes to let you enjoy the beautiful continent:

1) If planning a trip here, be sure to bring your sunscreen first off. A day on the Queensland beaches gave me a nice little souvenir. Not seashells, it was in the form of purple feet. I know you don’t necessarily know me, so I’ll tell you. My feet are not normally purple. Lesson number 2, don’t forget to cover your feet in sunscreen.

2) The second tip I have is what you call “on the job training”. So a few of us decided to go fishing with an Australian friend of ours. We waded out among the rocks maybe 50 meters until the water was probably just past our knees. Now looking back the rational of attracting Australian creatures to yourself while standing in the water doesn’t seem like such a good idea… Anyways there we were fishing away in our swimsuits. So I happened to look behind me, and 2 meters from my legs were 2 eyes staring straight up at me. His head was as big as my fist and the sea snake was looking straight at me! At this point our Australian friend informed us that sea snakes were the most venomous of Australian snakes. We then proceeded to calmly turn around and run like little girls to the shore.

3) So rumour has it that my location in Townsville has one of the highest concentration of tiger sharks in the world. Its here that I manage to drop my sunglasses of a dock in between Magnetic island and the mainland. ”I really shouldn’t try to go in and get them…” 2 seconds later a brown coloured 2 – 3 meters long shark swims past and through the dock pilings. Alright then…

So if you find yourself in the Townsville area of Queensland Australia don’t forget to be on the lookout and buy cheap sunglasses. I feel Tourism Australia would be angry if I mention the blue bottle jellyfish, brown snakes and spiders. Its all worth it if you see one of the Koalas on magnetic island though!

Too much boring writing!

Edward — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:53:58 +0000

Thats enough work. Who wants to sponsor me so that I can write more on fighting lobsters and falling backwards off waterfalls? To apologize for my boringness here is a present to keep you occupied for a few minutes:

Watch this random guy doing a terrible dance in about 20 different countries:

When the status quo bores me

Edward — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:30:33 +0000

So I was watching some tv episode on a network website the other day when a RBC Bank ad came on. It says how would you like to take a surf trip to the other side of the world? Just save 25$ a week…for 5 years! Sure I’m impatient and a fully fledged child of the instant gratification generation but that still seems excessive.

$7600 after 5 years, for a surf trip. I would pay for all my friends to go as well if I had that kind of money. If like me you’re more interested in your valuable time than obsessed with luxury here’s a hint:

Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Blue Trailz Hostel $12 per night, surfboard rental $15 a day, food maybe $30 a day.

Maybe RBC is implying your surf trip is supposed to be a year long? Or you have 50 family members going along…

From the tropics to life Below Zero.

Edward — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:13:42 +0000

Jet lag I can deal with, sleep deprivation and over indulgence are a part of my life. What is a rude shock is a temperature change from +35 C to -20C. Its like night and day, going from the realm of the cold bloods, to the exclusively warm blooded territory.

No lying outside in the sun to draw energy, you’ll probably die. There is very little temptation for unproductive lazy days. If I’m going to be in a cold, dark environment I might as well be working. Working for a nice warm car, or a nice warm apartment, or a nice warm trip back to some tropical paradise!

It was never much of a mystery to me why the richest countries, G8 and otherwise are all temperate/cold.

30 Countries Before 30 – Snapshot of a Modern Explorer

Edward — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:39:49 +0000

On the recommendation of successful blogger @befaster, I wrote up a slightly more refined article than normal. My first, and perhaps last article can be found at:

30 before 30 – 10 years of spontaneity summed up in 30 seconds.

On the way to tea in the Sahara

People can’t rob my education or experiences, and I have no possessions.

Edward — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:24:21 +0000

Blank Slate Life in Toronto

Edward — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:47:44 +0000

Maybe this wasn’t planned out too well…

I have some family, and a couch to stay on for a bit, apart from that I have nothing here. Better get started!

Just got a local phone number today, so thats a step in the right direction. Tomorrow I fix up the resume and wade into the local job market. For a small city boy like myself the magnitude of postings is shocking, but I’m mentally (not at all financially) prepared for the long haul search.

Lost in Costa Rica

Edward — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:47:18 +0000

I got out of the natural jungle yesterday and am sitting in Starbucks on Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto.

I could lie and say that internet was sparse in Costa Rica which is why I didn’t write. Its more accurate to say many cafes had free internet, but I was too busy surfing, snorkelling, climbing through the jungle, playing poker and carving pineapples.

Sunset on the Ferry from Montezuma

The Lobster Battle…

Sitting in the middle of this cold city it seems strange that I was in a 30 minute battle with a lobster just 2 days ago. Some people fight marlin for hours, not me, I fight with lobsters. Equipped with a snorkel and a crudely built bamboo spear I cruised the coastline until I spotted sneaky creature with his white antennas visible from between 2 rocks. While fighting the waves on increasingly frequent trips to the surface for air I struggled not to lose the hiding spot. My first strike was solid, but it did not finish the job. My nemesis sunk further under the rock. This lead to a futile digging, scraping, fighting off opportunistic fish, and overall oxygen deprivation. Lobster 1 – Me 0

Make sure your spear is sharp, and don’t miss the first strike! Lesson learned.

After visiting my 30th country in the past 10 years it seems that almost all I ever do is adapt. I’m always learning, which means I’m never an expert. I’m learning how to use transit in Thailand, or how to order (or catch) food in Costa Rica, or how to speak Russian. People everywhere who meet me must always say to themselves “wow this guy doesn’t know anything!” Maybe I ‘m not an expert anywhere but I can adapt and get by anywhere (so far…). In a world changing and evolving as fast as this one thats gotta be worth something.

Observations on the destination…

I’m no expert, and you almost certainly don’t enjoy the same things as me. But from my experience I can say without a doubt that its the people who make a place good or not. Sure there are exceptions…Standing on the edge of Iguazu falls you probably wouldn’t notice if your worst enemy were standing next to you. In between these fleeting moments of perfection, people make life amazing.

I feel the sun is racist against white people

Edward — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:22:57 +0000

what the tropics aren’t good for

Edward — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:31:34 +0000

There are a lot of things the tropics are good for, writing isn’t one of them so far. Weathers great, foods good, pace is laid back. But everything seems to be trying to kill you.

Any period of time out surfing sees the sun burning you from above, your board trying to hit you in the face, and the sneaky rocks below cutting your knees. I hope my brief bleeding on the way out didn’t attract a shark for the others. And yet I’ve gotta go back for more.

I won’t mention driving conditions because so far its only second hand info. It’s to hot and humid to focus…