The music continues to play. Just as it did before. It's a classic tune. Not the type that would make my father's warddrobe proud, but the kind that Greg would appreciate. Not the type of Greg who would live on the edge of fashion acceptance, but the one that would live on the edge of musical sanity. It's the same classical note that fills an otherwise empty house for Michael to enjoy. If you think for a minute or for a second that I'm talking about a Michael with a last name Jackson, you're both wrong and right. Wrong in that the Labrador's name is just Michael. I'm not sure where Jackson came from. Right in that precisely when I was hoping for an MJ impersination I was hearing stories about Tupac, and the Big EZ. No I'm not talking about what Santa says when he fills stockings at christmas.

I just went back through my old journals to sort out the date. It has been longer than I thought. Rounding up to 2 years quickly before it rounds down to 1. I could report that things are the same; which in part would be true. Houston has remained a place I enjoy to visit, and I believe would enjoy to live. From the food, to the weather, to the people, to the location, to the food; This much hasn't changed - Although I have. From 19 to 21 in a blink of an eye, it's unbievable to me how times wings have grown, and the path they've taken me on. From one completely different reality to the next in a matter of a few years. It's never moved this quickly before, and at the moment I hope it doesn't slow down.

I find my mind constantly occupied with thoughts, of all kinds, I wish I had as much time to sit and think as I did years ago.

I've pictured these moments for months. Surprisingly it resembles very little to what I imagined. It's been much longer since I was in Houston then I was in Panama, although the rate that things have changed; No doubt Panama is destined to have her share of surprises.

One of the nicest evenings I've had in a while, was a few nights before flying out of Calgary. Either the odds are playing a trick or fate is working overtime. Either way - Things to think about in the coming weeks.

GRMN shoots up for the 4th day in a row. It's only a small preview of what's coming.

A buzz that started in Banff, hit it's climax this evening; Mojitos in descending order - Razzberry, Frozen, Blueberry.

I know exactly how I feel about where I am, and the things going on around me. Do you? - I just finished packing my current life up into 3 suitcases. And repacking again. That's only the beginning. Let's stack it in the middle, the journey into the unknown. I quickly put on top of it the old, that is trying to discover the new, in dangerous and predictable steps; above the acceptance of the old that has done just that. Accepted the old, and has remained with it.

I've already witnessed far too much for my age, and I cannot help but to think that my fate is right. now. The meaning and the rhyme of course caught between a layer of disception, that occupies my mind. An inside struggle - and fair enough - it has taken two years to become reality. It's still not.

I'm a market opening and closing away from boarding a plane, and heading to a dream I crafted over two years ago. Two years is much to long, and I sense that in the new year I will not have near the patience I have talked about since I was four years old. Patience is not a virtue - Patience is merely something that people without alternatives blame their actions on.

The arguements roll in, and this weeks hot contendors are nothing shy of the S2000 and the TT. I've listened to the arguments on both sides, and I must say I'm leaning towards Audi. Only time, (and availability), will tell. Either way exciting, and the glass of cold water in my right hand is a good sign of some nights to come.

The lightning crashes down all around me, and I can't help but to think of the other wonders; how times' wings are growing at an increasing rate. I look top right and I see July 19th. What happened to June, and May, let alone the 18th.

It's the second night in a row I've the mixture just right. A welcomed cold breeze flows over my back and in what used to take one night, I'll try to get out in three.

Before I go forward, I rewind 2 years. A year when in the most broken state I've ever been I came to a realization, and started to define who I was, and where I was going. I had lofty plans, and in the end wasn't mature enough to make the timing right. I can look over and over again at my thoughts and goals, and have more respect for them then, than I do now. The goals were honest, and I approached them in a way much more desirable than today.

I move back the the present, and realize my lofty plans are now reality, just two years behind. Why 2 years, when 3 years is the number I should be concentrating on. It's as simple as change of fate that has brought the present to be.

I've lost all there is to gain; And as I play it over and over again, I'm with nothing new to contemplate. There was a day when an image of you would stir the pigeons, when a thought of you would bring a tear. not now. There is no more scratching, no new tears; only scars. Scars. All that are left to remind me that the past has been real. That those thoughts were real. That those dreams were real. That you are real.

The song has changed, but the beauty in the melody is all the same. It's had 2 years to develop, and in that time I've watched myself and the world change. I've sat back and watched, as thoughts progressed into reality. A 7 year plan turned into 5.

A swim at noon today fast forwards me now only 2 months. I awake on the 18th floor. Even before I'm out of bed, there is already feet moving around 18A. I rise to the voice of Rosetta. It's a short elevator ride to the 4th floor, and that's when reality settles in.

Although my thoughts are english, my words are not. Lunch welcomes me again on the 18th. My screens as rotated as my lifestyle, I pass the remaining heat with yet again another language while sitting patiently on the first floor awaits another J as well as another evening. The breeze on the patio is nothing like it is now. The mixture will be the same; but the view.

The sun has long since fallen. I sit alone with a hot plate, and watch the world travel by floors below. It's a busy world. One that doesn't stop when the sun sets. It's a view that for three months is all my own.

One block remains with $20 dollars in my hand, and my friend on the first to define it. It's a reality and dream that took 2 years to make. And Just like it did 2 years ago, the music starts to play.

The present dream is already three years in the making. What you would have told me then wasn't possible, I've already done it. I wasn't wired to stop just there. My thoughts, my plans. They've grown faster than before, and as foreign hands will teach me - there is nothing left to prove. My branch has no reason to fall to the ground, and God will be there, as he has in the past to see it so.

The first bi-annual Quantum Shift team week has been polished. Which means back to work, and back to being on time. I did just say that out loud. What a disaster.

Highlights include:

• Lake Louise Tea House + trip into B.C.
• Meeting Sammy Sugar - Eve that means you
• Sleeping through Tuesday morning meetings
• Log rolling and swimming in lake Morraine
• Losing the plot at the Stampede as well as Dancing heads music videos
• Pictures here: http://www.enterinside.com/ryan/gallery/289/1030/
  

Sadly all good things (and thankfully bad) must come to an end. My phone is off, and I'm back to work. Counting down the days. About 75 to go - Then it's goodbye's to winter and hello to humidity with penthouses, Spanish Lessons, and a re-defined dream.

The Story Continues...

The secret is out, and about time because my seal nose isn't hiding anything. Wednesday just before noon I checked into the Misericordia day ward. Within an hour, I was stripped down in a hospital gown, my vitals checked and I was lying in a bed across the hall from the surgery theatre. I had a brief moment to discuss with my anaesthetation? and surgeon, before I was wheeled into the theatre. The surgeon, Dr. Giuffre, looked at my nose for a second, repeated what we had talked about 6 months ago during the consultation and that was it. You would think that I would have had more to say.

I was wheeled into the surgery room, while 4 nurses were busy around the room getting everything ready. There is a nurse at both my sides. I'm strapped to the surgery bed. One nurse is hooking my body up to different machines, and the other getting me on an i.v. while an oxygen mask relaxes. Through the i.v. is a muscle relaxant, some nutrients, and then before I know it my eyes are closed, and I awake 2 hrs later wondering where I am and what just happened. As to where, I'm back in the recovery room after a few knock knock jokes, and my favorite tomato one. There is again a nurse checking my vitals and asking me questions. The what is the previous mentioned surgeries.

My body is hyped with drugs, and the swollen members are wandering around the day ward looking for their lost member. ricies. The drive home was mint, minus my mom getting lost, and feeling car sick by arrival. I went straight to bed, and didn't get up for the remainder of the next 24 hrs, minus a few bathroom breaks. Lilly, that little cutie, and my mom attending to me. I was in good spirits. By the next day the freezing was out of my face, and apparently I was behind in Tylonol 3's as my face was killing me, and the packing in my nose, had wedged itself so far up, my eyes were bruising, and I couldn't eat or swallow. I was stressing out, and decently angry, with a night ahead of me. I lied awake that whole night minus an hour or two. I couldn't do anything but count down the time until I could take more tylonol, and until at 9am the packing would be removed from my nose. I can think of worse nights. If I was making a top 10 list you would find June 7th, 2007 on it.

The dr's appointment went well. I spoke with a nurse and Dr. Giuffre again. I would say the nurse took out the packing, but it was more of a pull, and no mercy was spared. Whatever. They were out, and it was the nicest thing I've experienced since Beethoven's 6th was on repeat. The surgery was explained to me, my concerns addressed and I was waking out the front door, with fresh air dancing and singing it's way through my nasal passages. Over the last 24 hours I had developed the hell munchies. - Leo they would even compete with that one night. Good thing I was prepared with a snack pack in the car waiting for me.

The surgery was: shaving down of scar tissue on the wall of my nose, as well of the re-breaking to center out both sides.

I'm will into day 4 now. I've cut down the painkillers to an absolute minimum and have been eating/drinking/sleeping as much as possible. My body minus a sore nose is for the most part back to normal. The end of my nose is still numb, as I understand it could/should be for the next couple months while everything heals. The rest is under a plaster cast, which is as uncomfortable/itchy as any other cast I've had. The inside, is a random mix of dried blood, healing tissue and fresh blood/mucous. Pleasant right. Almost as pleasant as not being able to blow it for another week.

I'm laying low in Edmonton for the next few days until my next appnt to have the cast removed on Tuesday morning. I'll get some pics in here to show you the healing progression. I'm expecting black eyes and to have tape on my nose for another couple weeks, and then to be pretty much back to normal in 4 weeks, with all visible healing done by 6-8.

Thanks Mom, Lilly, Mel for taking care of me! and Leah and Chelsey for the company today!

Edit: Video Online - http://www.enterinside.com/browse/media/1/1002/1178667487/

I've wanted to go skydiving for a long time. The option has been available since I arrived, as Tomie's mate Warrick is doing a course, and his dad is also an instructor. So, after a night that was much to late, I rose at 7 this morning and in a cab to meet Warrick and go out to the airport (where I'll be back at again tomorrow)... Initially our jump was planned for 2pm, but it came at a much sooner 10 am.

15 minutes of briefing on the ground, 15 minutes climbing to the jump altitude. Three divers went before us, including Warrick, - who dove out of the plane into a few flips. Almost as classy as my tandem exit. I almost thought for a minute that I wasn't going to get nervous, next minute I'm sitting out the door of the plane, and my heart is racing for our count to three. All thoughts disappear and I'm floating overtop of UAE. We free fell for about 10 seconds, which is a huge rush, although doesn't beat Bungee Jumping. All the while I've a camera in my face, and I'm trying not to do my nervous face. The shoot opens, which has the effect of pulling you back up, all this at 3500 ft. The parachute down is quite fun also, although I couldn't keep my mind of that initial 10 seconds - and trying to hold in my breakfast.

It all happens much to quickly, and it's a good thing I did the pictures & video. I've some of the pics up now, and will try to get the video up when I'm home.

--------

We picked up my Dish Dash yesterday, and it's pretty awesome. With Noah, Dean and Tomi the night was spent at Peppermint night club; trying to follow up to Trilogy the night previous, it really didn't stand a chance. It was a late night, and the highlight came at 3 in the morning with a late night food run. This time not the Lebanese bakery, although a cheese bread would have been quite a treat.

Tomorrow I'm going to be back at the same airport, but this time just to go flying with a friend of Tomie's dad, Perrie. We'll leave from the airport (an hour drive out of Dubai), and fly to/over Dubai. I'm looking forward to seeing the city from the sky, as everything that is going on here, is really hard to put into perspective from the ground. Mostly it's just hard to see past all of the cranes, and Indian workers.

It looks as if Calgary weather has finally sorted itself out, and just in time. The weather here has also been on the rise. 35-45 during the day, with mid 20's during the night. I've a pretty red nose after two days in the sun with the Canadians. Wild Wadi 2, and a day at the beach for Tomies senior skip day. Wild Wadi was more fun the second time around, although I would have preferred to be at Ski Dubai, which is random given the situation. We did go to Barasti that night, which I thought was quite nice, however I seemed to be the only one. The Licorice seesha did put a damper of spirits. I met a number more of Tomies mates, and cashed in on a girls night, which was a buzzer. That and what about Park and Shop, and 24-7 MTV, and Kelly - My Chemical Romance. Busted.

We made a sizable effort to go to watch the camel races. So Sizable that we got to the track only to find out none were on. I don't feel disappointed. I'm about cameled out - Let's face it they're really not the best looking animal God put on the planet. I'll get those pics up here also.

My todo list has nothing left on it, and with only 3 days left in paradise the timing couldn't be better - I could have discovered the Mango ice pops a few days sooner.

40 Degress outside and I'm dressed in a snow suit, and wishing I had brought a pair of gloves. I woke up a little earlier than usual today to go to Ski Dubai. With low expectations of a ski slope in the middle of the dessert I was quite impressed. The run is about 400m's in length, and when not busy with ski lessons, is quite fun. The chair lift is the biggest downside, as it takes about 5 minutes to get to the top for the minute down.

Ski Dubai is claimed to be one of the largest indoor ski resorts in the world, with 22,500-square meters of indoor ski area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, the largest shopping mall outside of North America, and the third largest mall in the world.

3,500 barrels of oil are consumed every day by power generators to maintain the low temperature of -1 to -2 degrees Celsius consistently. Ski Dubai is part of the Majid Al Futtaim Group of Companies; he is a billionaire buisinessman of the United Arab Emirates. Ski Dubai has 5 runs varying difficulties to suit everyone; the longest being 400m. Here are some more interesting facts from the official website [listed below]:

• 22,500m² covered with real snow all year round – (equivalent to 3 football fields).
• 85 meters high (approximately 25 stories) and 80 meters wide.
• Full capacity of 1500 guests.

For about 55 cad I was in Ski Dubai for about 4 hours, with rentals - both equipment and clothing. That's a nice treat from the desert. After I met with Noah, Kelly and Tomi in The mall of the Emirates; We had a quick lunch, and then went to a nearby gold Souk to have our rings engraved.

After driving around in circles for 30minutes we went to Coral Boutique for Seesha and cards. Tarneeb. Tonight we are going to another Souk, to get fitted for a Dish Dash, or two. I've been having trouble sleeping with this coming up, well that and my mobile.

Tomorrow is rendevouz with fellow Canadians, waterpark potential during the day, Barasti Bar at night, Beach thursday, Sander Kleinenberg at Trilogy that night; and at that time I'm into my final week in Dubai..

I'm having problems getting my words out here; well I guess that's bound to happen when I'm thinking in Arabic and writing in English.

Villa paperwork got in the way of going desert 4x4'ing a few days ago; fortunately Tomie's mates pulled through with a camping trip the next night. Camping in the middle of the desert is a buzzer, and so is ripping through it in 4x4's with windows down and the system up. I didn't realize it was possible to get sick from seesha; since that midnight when I fell flat on my face and lost my dinner I've known differently. Camping back home is alot more comforting, with tree's, and water, and.. Here you drive for an hour until all you see is sand. And then knowing that there is scorpions, giant flying beetles, and camels roaming around freely.. Camels, what a random, ugly animal.

We went to a gold souk(market). I've put up pictures of all this of course, but really until you see the endless rows of gold stores, you won't really understand how much gold I'm talking about. - Unless of course you've watched Aladdin recently. I bought a white gold ring, and the two lovers also made respective ring purchases of their own.

Yesterday, we went shopping at the Mall of the Emirates again. Nothing short of successful as the dirham continues to impress.

Last night was peppermint nightclub with Dj Tocadisco. I was left on my own with a couple of Tomie's mates, which was random and good. I've never been disappointed with a club on a night with a dj - I'm hoping to see another show before I leave. I arrived back at the villa at around 4 by taxi. I thought I was on my tip toes, but apparently not as I think I woke everyone up - apologies all around, especially you little bear.

My arm is being twisted to go sky diving while I'm here. I of course want to; but I might just settle for a flight over the city instead?

We were out on the boat again today. I'd tell you about tubing or wakeboarding or something, but Kelly wasn't giving anyone else a turn, so I watched instead. A Bento Box and two missed calls later | would my mobile stop ringing? | and here I am. There's whispers of another day at the waterpark, Versace dish dashes, ring engraving, flights, skydiving, camel rides, indoor skiing, and I think I'll run tomorrow, yeah.

Quantum Shift TV has now gone live. A new chapter unfolds, and everyday is one step closer.

http://www.enterinside.com/ryan/travel/139/

Everyone knows that Air Canada sucks, so I won't get into it, other than to say that Emirates is a real treat. Movies, Television, video games, all in your seats, plus service with a smile. What a treat. I arrived into Dubai at just past midnight, after a brief lay over in London.

Tomi and her padre met me at the airport, while the rest of the family slept in bed recovering from a bit of an illness that has recently wiped through E-2. A bagel, and room setup, and I'm in bed. Friday morning bells ring, and I'm busy orientating myself with the area, studying Arabic. A quick tour to the Academy, Tomi's school, and we're off the Emirates mall. Emirates mall was very nice. I didn't cash in on many purchases, although I should mention the pair of versace sunglasses , that I waited since London to hook myself up with.

Day one polished with a midnight swim at the compound pool, a movie and a round of 31.

We went out on the boat around the first palm island . I can't really sum this country up, with all of the construction. Being off the coast of Dubai, and sitting of a massive man made island that already has apartment towers up on it, helps to put everything into perspective. Two days later I'm still sore from tubing.

Tomi's mate conveniently had a birthday that evening, so I met a number of her other friends, at a villa with her and Noah. After the party wound down, we went to a seesha bar.

I didn't realize that I was going to have the opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi. But sure enough I awoke to plans of visiting the Emirate palace hotel in Abu Dhabi . The trip is a short drive on a beautiful highway through the desert from Dubai. We walked around the hotel, and spent some time on beach at the back before driving back to Dubai.

Kelly, if you can stop twisting my arm for a minute, I'd be alot better at getting this hookah started. I realize that Tomi has been in bed for already a few hours, but I'm doing what I can. Swimming ok, my arm is getting sore. Ricies. It's 3 in the morning. Why are you crawling through your parents bedroom to get nail clippers.

It's now today. Another day in paradise . The day was spent at Wild Wadi . It doesn't rival West Edmonton Mall in any way, but the fact that it in the middle east, and right at the foot of the Burj Arab it does gain points. The lines were long, and the sun was hot for about the first hour. Then the clouds moved in over the Burj Arab, and next minute it's thundering and lightning, and we're getting kicked out of the water and forced to wait under cover for it to blow over. I was under the impression that it didn't rain in the desert, I now know different.

Nothing here is short of impressive. Tallest, longest, biggest, it doesn't matter, within the next few years they'll have it all. Everyone talks about how much construction is going on in calgary. I'm hearing estimates as high as 30% of the world's cranes are here in Dubai. I've never seen anything like it, and you wouldn't have either until you see the dubai skyline at night, lit up with cranes, and construction as the workers work through the night, on 12 hour shifts. It's no wonder everything is popping up so quickly

I forgot my laptop charger at home. Noah stopped running around trying to fetch the 2nd camel, to hook me up with that one.

I write this particularly to one oso.

5 months of waiting has come down to what is now only a few short hours. On a Jet Plane and headed to the fastest growing city in the world. In my pocket is a todo list longer than any notepad I've ever seen. I'm much to tired to let reality sink in - In a day when I'm standing track side getting ready to warm up for the biggest race of my life - That's when I'll feel reality.

The last few weeks are a blur, and I'm left on the edge of coming down with something. I've menthol running through my system and I want a family of bears not worry as I'm well along the road of recovery.

My suitcases packed. (Dragon you better be making friends in there.) Rest easy bears Kris Kringle will be there soon.

A more streamlined haircut, leaves Ahjmed feeling nervous. With a vivid image of Nelly Furtado in my mind I'm on my way to the middle east.