My Top ALBUMS of 2012

  Heyyyyy... We survived the "END OF THE WORLD"! Congrats, HA... That preposterous notion rightfully aside, it's time to reflect upon the great music of 2012.
  It seems like nowadays there's a new artist or group that takes their turn in the limelight somewhat daily. Good, I say! It is a tribute to the fact that everyone has the opportunity to write, share their sound to whomever is willing to listen, and ultimately revel in their musical accomplishments.
  This is a list of my favourite albums released in 2012 that I have found to be inspiring, captivating, impressive, enjoyable, etc. as a whole. Hope you agree to a certain extent, and please give me some suggestions of your own! ENJOY:

10. Passion Pit - Gossamer

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9. The Shins - Port Of Morrow

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8. Imagine Dragons - Night Visions

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7. The Lumineers - The Lumineers

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6. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

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5. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself

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4. Ben Howard - Every Kingdom

 (re-released in N.A.)

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3. Mumford & Sons - Babel

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2. Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard

...

And my NUMBER ONE album of 2012 IS...

1.  Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal

  Of Monsters and Men came out of the blue (the refreshing blue skies of Iceland that is), forming only two years ago to compete and win in a battle of the bands! We're sure glad they did, because they created a beautiful record this year, releasing their unique sound to the world; and it has spread rapidly ever since. Check it OUT!

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Sigur Rós - Valtari

Young Oceans - Young Oceans

Stars - The North

Metric - Synthetica

Wish List (the albums I did not get to

that might have made an impact on my choices):

Bahamas - Barchords
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Beach House - Bloom

The xx - Coexist

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

Last year, I included Feist and The Antlers on my wish list and was blown away when I finally listened to their albums (Metals and Burst Apart respectively). Furthermore, I was completely awestruck by seeing both live in the summer, so of course I'll be expanding my 2012 album experience into the new year!

I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store! Happy NEW YEAR! CHEERS.

Merry Christmas!

Veni, veni Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel,
Qui gemit in exilio
Privatus Dei Filio

Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel

(O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.)

(... It's not just my favourite Christmas song because

my name derives from Emmanuel, trust me.) 

May you have a blessed Christmas,

enjoying this memorable time of year with loved ones!

My gift to you: Hey Rosetta!'s A Cup of Kindness Yet Christmas EP! (An awesome version of "O Come O Come Emmanuel" included) Cheers!

Final Term... ?

To go over my Invertebrates Lab 3 outline before my third lab, or not to go over my Invertebrates Lab 3 outline before my third lab? You know what the answer should be, but as I find myself snacking on carrots and typing away at this post, I don't think it's going to happen...

I am on the last leg of my (undergrad) degree! My final term is packed however, so hopefully I don't dig myself too deep in my usual procrastinating trench. Though, since I'm having to endure 4 Biology courses to fulfill a minor in one term (plus my last Psych req.), it just may be bound to happen!

As I gradually come to the end of my undergrad, the constant ever so lurking questions are: "So what's next? What are you going to pursue afterwards? Masters?" Before I attempt to answer these, I always smile and think of how I will finally leave the main campus--overpopulated by those of whom I see as teenyboppers and prepubescent children--and start a new exciting chapter of my life. On the other side, this in turn makes me feel "older" and "not that accomplished"; especially when I see a 17 year-old starting for Liverpool FC, or a 20 year-old signing a 5-year, 31 million dollar contract in the NHL (*fingers crossed for a season this year*)... But I guess it depends on your definition of "accomplished" (and I don't feel like getting that deep here).
So what is next? The truth is: I'm not sure. I live in the moment (maybe too much at times), and have always taken life one step at a time. I'm excited to see what will come my way, but I also realize that I have to meet it (whatever that "what" is) in the middle too. ... I have to focus on graduating first though!

Here are some more things that are keeping me preoccupied from looking over my lab:
All I've heard about in recent days, through friends and strangers, is how Replacement Refs have ruined the NFL, and how the new Mumford & Sons album, 'Babel', is finally out. Both are great news. The NFL Replacement Refs have become a strange, unbelievable phenomenon. The outrageous calls and extremely unlikely mishaps that have happened over the last couple of weeks are an amazing form of entertainment to a pseudo-fan, like myself.
As for Mumford & Sons new album, I can't wait to hear it. It's remarkable how they've reached a fan base that spreads way outside of their genre. They truly are a musical epidemic.

Anyway, now I'm off to my Invertebrates Lab.
Ciao for now.

Belize Bound! So Long! Farewell! (Chapter Five)

For our last couple days, we spent our time in the company of the Machaca staff, volunteers, and students. Sunday, we went down the highway to a local church gathering in the morning, and in the evening, took in Machaca's service at their own café in downtown Punta Gorda.
 

A wall mural at the café feat. a song based on Ezekiel 37:1-10.

'Di BoneVille Café' was its name, based on the bible verses of Ezekiel 37:1-10. Newly renovated and about to be opened up to the citizens of PG! A perfect place to witness and hang out with the locals. Serving delicious food, drinks, and playing games and füssball. A drop-in centre essentially.

The next day, we decided to act like true tourists and go into town to buy some souvenirs. The markets were only set up til mid day, so we searched quickly for the best hammock deal we could find. After a few stops, we found our man and a technicoloured masterpiece was our prize. Along with other little souvenirs and a couple more hammocks (for good measure), we walked to the bus stop to catch a ride back to Machaca. On the way, Papa Jop (the elderly white Jehovah's Witness who made our delicious pizza two nights ago) passed by. He yelled while riding his bicycle, basket filled to the brim, trying to sell his sweet rolls and cheese buns. What a guy.

During the off days at Machaca, Willie and I hung around the gym, playing volleyball, soccer, and basketball with whoever was around. So that's what we did when there wasn't anything for us to do. On this day, we taught some visitors "Bump" and also played 3v3 volleyball with a group of teens from town (one kid had quite the vertical and could spike shockingly well, so it felt extra good to block him. Displaying some quality Canadian volleyball skill in doing so... as well as competitiveness). When we were too sweaty and drenched from the humid temperature, Willie and I retreated and read in our cabin. We heard purring and thought nothing of it, but later realized that there weren't any "house" cats at the camp... Apparently, Jaguarundi inhabit the bushes next to our cabin. Cool, actual wild cats, not stray "pets" with supposed owners.

After supper, when it was dark enough, we headed for the pit in the field to talk and play guitar around the bonfire. The only source of light for miles was our fire, everything else was lit up by the stars; literally billions of them, all visible. No moon to be seen, just a labyrinth of stars. We saw the most we've ever seen. Galaxies were strewn every which way as we took in the 360˚ gaze above. A ghoulish sound interrupted our awe. Howler monkeys. Their creepy hollow screeches resonated from miles away. Hearing these new wild sounds served as a reminder of how foreign we actually were. That realization is quite the feeling: the sense of adventure.

This was our final night of the trip, and still we had yet to stumble upon a snake. If you could remember (from the second chapter), we were told to check the other side of every log before we stepped over, just in case there was a coiled-up snake. Common, we thought they were! Well, my Dad and Don at least got a minor scare... While Willie and I were at the bonfire the whole time, my Dad and Don visited a local residence to check up on a girl who needed medical attention. On the drive there, they ran over something snake-like and decided to reverse back a bit to see what it was. Sure enough, the long snake was scrunched-up in it's coils, lying still. Unsure if it was dead or not, Don leaned out of his window with his flashlight to confirm their suspicions. It featured dark yellow-diamond blotches and was indeed a deadly Fer de Lance (Bothrops asper), the ultimate, venomous pit viper. Just as he was noting it's deadliness, the viper sprung up and lashed out at him. Startled badly, Don floored it out of there! The Fer de Lance is known to eject venom from it's fangs at a distance of at least 6 feet!!! In fact, these snakes are so dangerous that even a small bite could result in an entirely crippled limb. A worse bite could be fatal. Scary stuff. On our way to the Mayan Ruins a few days before (in chapter three), we filled up the van at a gas station, and the employee actually had a crippled hand from a Fer de Lance bite; again (Life Lesson #54), be careful where you swing your machete!
My Dad and Don's close call had definitely fulfilled our snake-encounter quota for the trip, and made us wonder what was under our cabin at night a little too much when we went to bed!

On our last day, we packed up and finally had to say our goodbyes. One last game of tetherball was needed, along with pictures, hugs, and blessings. Homeward bound, we were. The time we shared at Machaca and in the Southern Toledo district will be remembered dearly! It was such a blast to travel and just be with my Dad and brother on such an exciting trip, which gifted a fresh environment and culture for us. Who knows, we might find ourselves down there more sooner than later.

... You better BELIZE IT!

S.T.T.I's Class of 2012 at Machaca

Our goodbye photo with Cliff, Luke, and Don.

Willie taking it all in.

Enjoy the final vlog installment!

Belize Bound! So Long! Farewell! (Chapter Five) from MannyG on Vimeo.

Music:
Ben Howard - "Only Love"
 ~~~
p.s. Wow, it has been seven months since our amazing trip to Belize. It took me a long time to finish this series of posts, but it has been a joy to continuously relive the memories for every single one of these five segments. I'm glad I stuck with it for my family's sake! And now, maybe I'll be free from my conscience to blog more... We'll see! Ha

Ciao for now!

Boat-Stream Sky

Have you ever had one of those evenings where the sky and lake are one in the same? I just did a couple nights ago. The white horizon seamlessly merged with the silent glass lake, and formed what seemingly felt like a 'Trueman Show' dome.

My parents arrived at the beach on boat, straight from what literally looked like the sky. Their following stream, a pathway, cut so clean. "It felt like we were boating in heaven," my mom proclaimed.

We need more of these moments.

Belize Bound! The Cayes of Belize (Chapter Four)

On our fourth day in Belize, we got up early and drove down to Punta Gorda for a day trip to the Cayes [Keys] (the many islands between the mainland and the barrier reef), all of which are a leisurely boating distance from shore. We went with an American family with three kids who have been staying and helping out at Machaca for the past little while. Physically, the blondest family ever (as you'll see in the vlog).

Patrick, a young Belizean, was our tour guide along with his even younger assistant. Both knew the Cayes' inside and out, especially the prime fishing and snorkeling spots. Fishing was our first stop as Patrick anchored the boat and pulled out a bucket of these rustic looking, nylon-raveling, wooden handles. We hooked some bits of fish flesh then unraveled the nylon lines into the sea, tugging when we felt the presence of a hovering snapper. Red snappers to be exact, scaly and snappy with a spine dorsal fin. It took Willie the longest to catch one, and everybody cheered once he eventually did! The fearless Bubba (the youngest of the three kids) was actually raking in the most fish. He was so excited to the point of flinging himself hard from the side of the boat onto the floor, landing on his knees in a triumphant fashion. Crazy kid.

From fishing we motored on to another island to check out the lighthouse where TIDE's HQ was; a conservation organization for the cayes' wildlife and environment. It was beautiful to climb to the top and look out over all the surrounding area.

Snorkeling was next on the agenda! I had never done it before so it was awesome maneuvering in between the coral and seeing all the colourful fish darting into the tiny holes and cracks. Once you got over the fact that there were barracuda amongst you, it was smooth sailing. The sun was our biggest threat however, and my back paid dearly. (We didn't head to the barrier reef because it was much pricier and about 20 more miles by boat unfortunately.)
After we had our fill of snorkeling we went out to deeper waters to swim. Patrick swam pretty far to dive many meters for conch shells (you'll see his assistant holding one in the vlog that he brought back). During this time, Jeremy, the dad of the family we were with, ended up diving down with a mask only to spring back up in a panic. He quickly swam back to the boat and explained his terror. A barracuda swimming underneath him stopped to look up, stared at him, and started to draw closer! ... I know I would freak out. Who knows if it was the same one, but after our swim, we put a hunk of meat on a line, trolled the boat and luckily caught a barracuda. Patrick wrestled in the heavy line and bludgeoned the thing as it tried to flail free. It's teeth were jagged and it's eyes were cold. Scary creatures.

Our last stop out on the sea was this thatch hut, small island resort. It featured a breezy bar/restaurant that was onlooking the dock with an aquarium. It oozed retirement. Or maybe just a nice getaway! An iguana we saw on shore about 3-4 feet long was definitely enjoying its stay, as it lazily chilled out in the sun.

Willie's allergies had kicked in so we decided to call it a day and head back to Punta Gorda. Although once we got home to Machaca, we went with Don and Cliff to visit another resort named Hickatee Cottages, a Bed & Breakfast spot hidden in a deep pocket of the rain forest. The British husband and wife owners were once students of Don and Cliff's at Machaca. They decided to come back some years later and build their own little cottage oasis (getting some notice from travel magazines too). As we arrived, we walked in on a local Galifuna drummer playing for the guests on the restaurant's veranda. It was super tribal-esque, and even the British husband had his own drum to join in. When the drum lesson was finished and the guests went on with their night, we hung around to talk with the owners. They offered us free drinks so we all asked for Sprite, but the husband somehow mistook Cliff's order for a beer. I jumped at the opportunity to try the local brew. Belikin, Mayan Temple beer. Mmmm, 'twas really good. Good enough for me to buy a shirt at the airport when we left, and yes it did say "You Better BELIZE It!" on the back.

After seeing and gawking at our first tarantula of the trip, we hopped back into the van and took off back to Machaca for the night; making a pit stop at Papa Jop's, the local Jehovah's Witness, for a pizza for the road. It was delicious.

Here's the vlog, enjoy! Stay tuned for the last chapter!

Belize Bound! The Cayes of Belize (Chapter Four) from MannyG on Vimeo.

Music:
Architecture in Helsinki - "Escapee"
Metric - "Reflection #9"

Forcing That Initial Push

Life Lesson: Once you initially force yourself to get down to something, you'll get it done.

Pretty obvious isn't it? I can say/think I'll start doing something that needs to be done, but unless I force myself to be in the initial position to do it, it won't happen. Makes sense. So why don't I do that more often? ... It's something to work on! Plus I definitely do not believe it is a strength of mine (a consistent near perfect performance of an activity); a foreshadow of a post to come on the book 'Now, Discover Your Strengths'. Check it out, it's a gooder. Although I still need to finish it, and basing a prediction for when that will be on what I've just stated... it'll be awhile.

Anyway, I've finished my fourth chapter of our Belize experience (at last) and will have that available with the write-up ASAP.

Cheers!

Pretty Face... Word.

Summer is HERE and Saint Kris has another summer hit he wants you to cherish! Turn it up when you're at the lake, on the boat, around the campfire, manning the BBQ, tanning on the dock, you name it. Wherever you find yourself doing summery things, you can bet this song will fit right in. I was pumped to be able to join in on the music video with the crew. We hit up the lake and had a blast chilling on a beautiful weekend, shooting the video in one gorgeous day. The song and setting went hand in hand. BBQ, Boating, Beer, Spitz, Morning Dips, Pretty Faces... Word.

I could hype this song all day, however I'll leave it up to you to judge just how catchy it is! Enjoy the vid, Nice! Productions always delivers quality!
(I'll also let you know now that it wasn't my best game of Flip Cup in the video... just watch me struggle at the 1:30 minute mark!!)

Saint Kris - Pretty Face (ft Rup Monsta) from Nice! Productions on Vimeo.

Download the song on iTunes HERE!

Check out more from this crew on these cool sites...

Oak + Oar  |  Nice! Productions

Spray All

First of all, it seems I've settled into the routine of writing a Belize Bound chapter once a month. Wow, and our trip was 6 months ago; time really does fly. Ridiculous. In the famous words of SNL and Kristen Wiig's Gilly... "Ssawry." My apologies to those who read them. I need to get going on the final ones ASAP.

Secondly, today I reached a record high of sprayed listings... 7. SEVEN. It felt good. Hopefully this summer we'll actually have larvae to blast. I'd like to be productive and give ICB a good rep (well, try to).

Anyway, just wanted to backseat blog. Ciao for now.

Backseat Blogging

I'm in the backseat. It's windy and cold in the R.M. of MacDonald. Dusty, cloudy, and most of all... dry. The only thing productive: My prescripted allergy drugs are working. All is calm, yet all is bland.

This will sum up my day at work. "Will", being the key word.

Anyway, sorry for being a downer on this downer of a day. Work and moving has bogged my free time down, and as a result, I've been struggling to settle in and relax. Backseat blogging will help me clear my head, I hope.

Cheers to better days, and the better days to come!

Belize Bound! Mayan Ruins & Local Futbol (Chapter Three)

  On our third day down in Belize we got the opportunity to visit one of the many famous archaeological sites of Mayan Ruins with Don. Lubaantun (pronounced Lou-bawn-tune with a mysterious low accent) was where we tread upon and where they found the biggest of those perplexing, perfect crystal skulls. You know, the whole Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull spiel. WAS IT EXTRATERRESTRIALS WHO CRAFTED THEM??!?!?! Who knows... Maybe the end of 2012 is when they'll return, and that is what the Mayans were referring to when they ended their calendar!!! Eerrrrrrrrie (I love speculation). Anyway, we went and saw the rubble of genius craftsmanship from the Mayans. They apparently built their structures in a way that would prevent disaster from the many earthquakes in that age.

 

  A solid structure was assured by carving the end of each stone to wrap around the next to prohibit them from shifting. Pretty savvy!

  Our guide also showed us the grassy strip/lane where the Mayans had this fight to the death event. Those who were chosen would battle and the winner was even sacrificed to the "gods". Crafted stone helmets and stone knuckles were used in the fight, and these were on display in the tour hut as well, with all the Crystal Skull articles.

  The trees around and within the ruins were massive. Two types in particular were extremely interesting: Rubber and "Tourist" trees. The rubber trees seeped their leaky, milk-coloured latex sap, which is natural rubber of course. You will see a couple photos of this in my vlog below! Super cool. When the substance dries and hardens you can stretch it like those miniature Stretch Armstrongs we all loved as kids (I still love them! Can you even find them anymore?). The "Tourist" trees were self-explanatory as well (at least to the locals)... Tall, thin, and sun-burnt red! Hilarious. There's also a photo of one in the vlog!

  Another highlight was when we found a killer bees nest, extremely alive, in a tree cavity on site. I pretty much held my breath while passing it. I realized that I should get some video of them though, so you'll see that too in the vlog (don't worry, I kept a safe distance).

  When we left the site, many of the local women came down to the stream just before our van and laid out all their handcrafted souvenirs for purchase (they catch wind of tourist presence and rush over to set up camp to sell their gifts). We declined this time though and continued toward our van, which was parked up on the inevitably muddy hill. This was a problem. Don's 15-seater van was no match for the slant and muddiness of the hill. My Dad, Willie, and I all got behind the van and pushed while Don tried to make it to solid ground. We almost made it without any muddy casualties, however... my Dad, with a final shove, lost his footing and ended up face first in the mud! Willie and I loved it, as well as the local women who were watching from their souvenir spots. My Dad, being himself, laughed it off and hopped back in the van as quickly as he could. Fun times.

  We got back to the Machaca Center for lunch (the classic of chicken and fried beans on rice) to find out that one of the staff family's son, Austin (8 years old), almost cut off his big toe with his machete. The day before, he was bragging about killing snakes with it and now there he was, almost without his right big toe! The doctors are pretty sketchy down in Belize. The one they had gone to didn't want to stitch up the severed toe. Luckily, the nurse rightfully interjected and did it herself. Ridiculous! They only care if they're paid extra down there.

As Lindsey put it well...

Life Lesson: When wielding a machete, always swing away from yourself!

  Machetes are common tools down in Central America. It's always handy to have one with you when you're in the bush; just in case a snake is within striking distance. Seeing someone hacking the surrounding bush with their machete (for no apparent reason) is a regular occurrence, and it's awesome.

  Anyway, I will conclude this chapter with my soccer experience down in Punta Gorda. That afternoon, after our Mayan Ruins adventure, Willie and I went into town to play soccer with a local Grade 8 class. We brought plenty of soccer balls to give to the children and took to the field, splitting the class into three teams to play a mini world cup tournament. The field was (to no surprise) MUDDY! So we all ran around barefoot, kicking the ball in and out of the mud. They called us the "Big White Sirs". The joy on the kids faces was priceless.

  We also got the chance to play with a local club team a couple nights later. I brought my white indoor turf cleats down and obviously got them drenched with mud. So other than that hindrance, it was super fun to play with those guys. At first, they were hesitant to pass the ball to me because they didn't know my skill level (I also do not look like a fluent futbol player), but after a few touches they realized that I was decent. I was dubbed "The Ostrich" because of my lanky running figure. They couldn't get over it! We also gave the team a bunch of Phoenix jerseys (a Winnipeg Youth Soccer Club), which they could use for their league games.

  Here's the next vlog... It's just some snippets of what I've been talking about in this chapter. Enjoy. Ciao for now!

Belize Bound: Mayan Ruins & Local Futbol (Chapter Three) from MannyG on Vimeo.

This is my third installment of our trip down to Belize! We checked out the Mayan Ruins of Lubaantun, and also had fun playing soccer with a local Grade 8 class and a local club team. This video just shows some small snippets of the experience, nothing too elaborate! Enjoy!

Music:
Of Monsters and Men - "From Finner"

The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends

University is fresh off the term and we're finally amongst this long awaited Spring/Summer break. A break filled with friends, music, trips, beaches, cabins, the Stanley Cup playoffs, UEFA's EURO 2012 Cup, the Olympics... and... board game nights. Yes, board game nights. Here's a funny, short documentary that portrays (pretty accurately) most of the Settlers of Catan games I'm involved in (except for the screaming bit at the end). ENJOY! And may YOU be Lord of Catan this summer!

(I know... I'm a nerd)

The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends from Jay Cheel on Vimeo.

Belize Bound! A Whole New World (Chapter Two)

From the tiny Punta Gorda airport, we were picked up by the crew. Hopping into one of their vans, we then made the trek to their site. First of all, the main highways are nicely paved, but the side roads are vastly potholed (worse than expected). At the beginning it was funny when we hit our heads on the roof of the van, but by the end of the week we were road sick every time! It didn't help that our drivers would swerve and weave around the craters at suddenly decreased/increased speeds.
We arrived at their spacious Machaca Outreach Center (not pronounced Ma-cha-cha as my Dad hilariously mistook it to be, but Ma-cha-ka) where we would be staying for the next week. The place was located in a massive clearing, surrounded by lush rainforest. We have friends from London, ON (Don and Cliff) who also run a Technical College on site, and Don would keep reminding us that he had pretty much built everything there. Impressive; the buildings included a gymnasium with a basketball and volleyball court (all regulation, I was assured), dining hall, women's two-story dorm cabin, a few men's cabins, the outdoor technical college work hut, and ~5 house cabins (p.s. the gym, dining hall, and college work space were all practically outdoors with the exception of roofs). It was greatly developed, yet still contained the Belizean culture and feel. It was quite the place. The cabin where we slept felt like a classic anthropological setting. A long, four-roomed, stilted place with a screened-in hall/lobby area, wooden floors and walls, and a red, tin roof. The concrete stilts are needed because of flash flooding as well as for wildlife of course. On average Belize gets ~140-200 inches of rainfall per year! You better BELIZE IT (Ha, gotcha with the pun)! Every night it would pour, and I mean POUR! Plus, it wasn't even the rainy season when we were there... yikes. The downpours would arrive in increments of 10-15 minutes as well. So there would be breaks in between of nothing, then it would start up again. It was very hard to get to sleep, or get back to sleep! They said that sometimes, if they needed to get to the airport the next day, they would go into town the night before just in case the road became a river and they couldn't get across!
Rain also means mud... I'll get to a funny story in my next chapter.

You may be wondering what the reason was for us being there... Communication isn't the directors' forté, so only one thing was for certain: My Dad would be speaking on mental health and lecturing the staff on how to deal with the people involved in their ministry. Machaca is presently running a discipleship program for young adults/youth who have come from a troubled past of drug addiction. Even some of the staff have been down a troublesome road, and it was amazing to see how they had turned their lives around, credited to God's love, grace, and help (I would tell you some stories, but I do not believe it is my place to share those here!) The program is 12 months long from January to December and is based on Christian leadership development. A lot of these young adults/youth are from the directors' church back in California, so this program is to separate them from their past lifestyle and have them start-a-new in a drug-free environment (some are local Belizeans as well). They are mentored by the staff, trained biblically, help run a cafe/church in the town, and interact with the local community. For those who are interested, in the first month of the program Don and Cliff teach a trades course (either electrical, construction, etc.), then do a final group building project in one of the surrounding communities with the students. The primary focus is to teach/certify local Belizeans to equip them with the knowledge needed to help develop their own communities.

p.s. Much to our surprise, an old family friends' son was also there volunteering with the course, so it was great to catch up with him and see what he was up to as well.

We arrived during this course, so Willie and I did not have much to volunteer for at the centre. I took Grade 9 electronics, but I did not want to go near all of their practice circuit boards. In fact, our first day there we found a bat near death, struggling and flapping beneath one of the boards (you'll see some pictures in the second vlog). Bats weren't the only thing we discovered down there. The amount of species that live in the rainforest boggles my mind. Don went on and on and on, listing all of the creatures he has ran into, as well as those he thankfully hasn't ran into! So I'll list them here for you as well... Enjoy:

Jaguars, Jaguarundis (mini jags), Tarantulas, Tarantula Wasps, Iguanas (up to 7 feet), Barracudas, Tapirs, Killer Bees, Armadillos, Lizards, Jesus Lizards, Basilisks (not the Harry Potter kind), Manatees, Scorpions, Mighty Termites, Mighty Cockroaches (massive), Army/Fire Ants, Howler Monkeys, Fireflies (hundreds), Coral Snakes, Fer-de-Lance Vipers, Parrots, Vampire Bats, and MORE. UnBELIZEable.

They had it all. We were fascinated by the stories Don and Cliff told. Even walking around on site led to encounters with many new and exciting insects or animals. Whether it was parrots flying overhead, hearing playful growling in the bushes (jagurandis), stepping over a line of army ants (who marched nonstop all day in this line of who knows how many metres), or seeing a 4-inch long wasp stumble about unpredictably in the air. We were also told to always look on the other side of rocks or logs when we were walking because there could be a poisonous snake (fer-de-lance, or coral) coiled and waiting. However, our biggest shock came the first night when we were about to go to bed. But I'll let my second vlog tell/show the story of our first ever SCORPION experience... Check it OUT!


Belize Bound: A Whole New World (Chapter Two) from MannyG on Vimeo.
We arrived at the Machaca Outreach Center in the coastal tropical rainforest region of Punta Gorda, Belize. Creatures galore, we couldn't have imagined how many different types of species lived down there. In this second installment, we check out the center's site as well as some creature interaction. Enjoy!

Music:
Grouplove - "Tongue Tied"
The Antlers - "No Widows" (Daytrotter Session)

#KONY2012

This is a very moving short film, I suggest you check it out and support Invisible Children Inc. in their quest to take down International War Criminal #1, Joseph Kony... This video lays out the steps to help and most of all it explains their mission! I'm sure this organization spoke at Prov a couple years ago, so I'm super disappointed that I missed it. Anyway, take half an hour of your time (well worth it) and soak this in, it's super inspirational!


KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.

Pledge your support by donating here: http://bit.ly/konydonate and continue to share this story. GOAL: 500,000 shares

Belize Bound! BON VOYAGE! (Chapter One)

As you may have noticed by now, I work at my own pace. That said, I'm kind of disappointed that it has taken me this long to get going on blogging about my incredible experience in Belize. So let's get this show on the road!

~~~

BUD LIGHT, MILLER LIGHT, HEINEKEN... CAAHHHH-ROHHNA! This beer seller was serious. He would walk up and down the steep aisle with an intense glare that would charm American bills out of anyone's pockets. A few people in front of us were finally coaxed and hailed him over. They ordered a few Bud Lights and asked how much it would cost them. The man as he poured the second of the two, exclaimed, "$27!" They were choked... "I guess it's too late now," one of the guys said as he forked over two twenties. He replied, "These are King Cans, boys!" and went off for his next sale... "BEER, HERE! BEER... HERE!" 
Too funny!

We were at the Miami Heat game vs. the San Antonio Spurs, and it was our night lay-over until heading down, over the Gulf, to our destination of Belize. We were fortunate enough to snag some nose-bleed tickets for this clash of super talent. It was just our luck that the game turned out to be a doozy. LeBron James probably had his worst first half of the season, which resulted in the fans booing him, as he did not score a point until a free-throw (1 for 5 from the strip & probs 0 for 6 FG wise, mind you) late in the second quarter! UNBELIZEABLE! Oops, I meant unbelievable. I'm not even in Belize at this point... I'll try and save those puns for later; just you wait! Anyway, Tony Parker just TOOK OVER in the first half. He was relentless, hitting everything as well as driving and draining ridiculous runners. However, it was in the second half when the three-headed beast of Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and... nope not Dwayne Wade (who was injured), but Mike Miller was unleashed!! James went 4 for 6 and Miller went 6 for 6 from behind the arc! The arena was going nuts, it was quite an exciting game. The icing on the cake was definitely Bosh's 360⁰-pivot-two-handed-throw-down, which he uncorked from the free-throw line. Ultimately, the Heat came back from a 20+ deficit and ended up winning 120-98. What a game!

With an early flight in the morning, we headed back to the hotel and crashed. Our journey had just begun and it felt like we had been gone for a while already.

After arriving in Belize City, we were greeted by the inevitable, touristy nature of it's airport. It was hilarious. This picture captures it the best:

Pushing that aside, we couldn't wait to discover the raw country itself. As well as to see what life was like for the locals and also the outreach team, with whom we were going to be staying with!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Here is the first installment of my short Belize vlog series! Watch to check out some clips and pictures of our trip. Enjoy!


This is my first vlog installment of our trip to Belize. My Dad, Brother and I had an amazing experience hanging out with an outreach team in Punta Gorda in the south district of Toledo. Here is just a taste of what it looked like...

Music:
Kanye West & JAY Z - "Gotta Have It"
M83 - "Echoes of Mine"

Poison & Wine

I mentioned earlier that I covered one of mine and Lindsey's favourites from The Civil Wars for her Valentine's Day gift... so here it is! Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Poison & Wine (Civil Wars Cover) by mannyg

My Own Trade Centre

This is what my class consisted of today...

Gotta love technology.

A Blog-Posting Layover of Sorts

I've been asked... "So, are you done blogging for good?" *COUGH* Froese *COUGH* NO. False. Not true! C'mon! I'm just on a slight layover before dishin' out some sweet Belize stories here.
Tests have seemed to be all I've been doing in/at school lately, so that has sucked up most of my time. As has preparing for my good friend's wedding social that happened last Friday; Live band and all. I was featured vocals on "I Want You" by Savage Garden as well as "American Girl" by Tom Petty producing some mean mouth organ sound (harmonica baby!). Great times!
It was also Valentine's Day this week... Or Singles' Awareness Day... So I was also busy recording a personal cover of "Poison & Wine," by just recent 2-time-Grammy-winner The Civil Wars, for my valentine! Check 'em out. Beauty duo, and well deserving winners of a Grammy.
Now I'm heading to good old Oshawa, Ontario for my Grandma's 90th birthday bash, and for the duration of a much needed "READING" WEEK.

SO, I will be back blogging. Stay TUNED! Cheers!

Life Lesson: It ain't over till the fat lady sings.

A Belizean Prologue of Sorts

Disregarding social networking... If you've been wondering whether or not I'm alive or if I was eaten by some Belizean jungle cat... I arrived ALIVE! Currently, I am sitting in UofM's library watching the Starbucks line increase to 30 people. Okay, maybe not 30; at least 20. Who am I kidding, I'll definitely stand in line once it goes down. Gotta use up those Christmas gift cards, you know?

I've been home for a week now, but have been busy with finishing up missed assignments, labs, and also studying for two tests, then writing them the next day (I'm bad for that). But now I'm FREE (somewhat) to blog about my amazing experience down in Central America. I hope to post a "chapter" of my trip for each day I was there, including stories, intriguing info, and even vlog snippets as well. I figure it would be better to produce small short clips instead of one long time consuming video (which I've done a lot of in the past). So hopefully you agree! And I also hope you don't mind Belize puns because I may pull out a few, just sayin'. Stay tuned!

Belize Bound

For those of you who didn't know (but do now from reading the title of this post), my dad, brother and I are heading down to Belize tomorrow! We're volunteering at an addictions centre in the southern town of Punta Gorda for a week, helping and hanging out with the crew and members (hopefully playing a lot of soccer). My parents know the people who run it, and have visited a long time ago when they didn't have us kids to hold them down. JOKES, but let's face it, that's what children do. I'm hoping to film some of my experience, so stay tuned for some vlog(s).

I was a little worried about how much school I would have to miss, but it seems that God has taken care of things in order for me to experience this adventure. Let me explain... I've never heard of "grace periods" before in University courses. Scratch that, I've never heard of them in ANY kind of course. However, in my only two courses where I will miss a significant test and a couple of lab reports, the professors have included these grace periods. In one course, this means that I will be able to write one of the first three tests at a later date for any reason. And in the other course, this means that I will receive no late penalty for handing in lab reports 1-3 by the fourth lab! I'm away from the 17th to the 24th and this gives me a full week to finish my missed labs when I'm back. Everything worked out perfectly with my schedule! Thank You, God.

I'm excited for this opportunity to see God's grace and love at work in this area, and to serve these people who have been in unfortunate circumstances due to their drug addictions. Please pray for me as I will most likely find myself in uncomfortable situations/interactions that I would not normally be in. I'd greatly appreciate it. Ciao for now! See ya next week!

p.s. It'll be amazing to escape Winnipeg's real winter weather, which has finally made its dreaded arrival.
p.p.s. We'll also be encountering another type of heat... the Miami HEAT. They play the Spurs tomorrow night and we'll be attending thanks to our day-long layover in Miami. PUMPED!

My Top ALBUMS of 2011

Let's get right to it! Last year I said that I don't like to limit my selection to 10... so I didn't. I felt the need to add a bunch of honourable mentions, and I'll do the same here. I'm hesitant in regards to my ordering, so if you disagree, by all means DISAGREE! These are my favourites, and in my opinion, great listening choices for any music lover (except for maybe you hardcore "country" folk)! Enjoy!

10. Foster the People - Torches

9. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

8. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math 

7. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

6. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

5. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

4. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

3. The Head & The Heart - The Head and the Heart

2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

... 

 AND my number one album of 2011 IS...

1. Sam Roberts Band - Collider

A class act. Sam's lyrics are mind boggling and the groove is never ending. I cannot choose a favourite track because all 13 are candidates! I saw them live in November and was in awe of how tight they were with their sound. They keep coming out with completely solid albums. Can't complain one bit.

  HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

The Black Keys - El Camino

Thrice - Major/Minor

Switchfoot - Vice Verses

Winnipeg's Best:

Saint Kris - BYOB

Imaginary Cities - Temporary Resident

The Liptonians - Let's All March Back Into The Sea

Albums I haven't listened to that may have made my list:
(and they're definitely on my wish list)

The Roots - Undun

Feist - Metals

Lights - Siberia

The Antlers - Burst Apart

TV On the Radio - Nine Types of Light

Consider all of these selections as fine options for your listening list,

if you haven't done so already! 

Can't wait for the solid albums of 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(Hope you party, partied)