Apropos Zora:

This post is more than overdue, but I had a lot to work and couldn't free some time. I'm translating a cooking book right now for a German publisher and learn a lot about Myanmar.

In June we ventured out to camp for two weeks. But we didn't make it. Those...things...

When we arrived at our camping place, we knew something was different than the last times. We got out of the car and soon we were covered in black flies. They crept into eyes and ears and mouth. It was impossible to enjoy those first moments when you set up camp. And enjoyment didn't want to arise in the hours after that as well.
The black flies soon were accompanied by mosquitoes, and they were numerous. Everything itched.
But it didn't stop there. Sometimes mother nature can be devilish with her creations and when she has a bad day she invents something far more evil: horse flies.

Don't be fooled by the idyllic look. In June lakes are the portals to hell...

On that same day of arrival we got back in the car, drove to the nearest Canadian Tire and bought an insect tent. And insect head meshes on top. With those things equipped we managed to be with the man eaters for a week, but it was of no use. We couldn't do anything else than sit in the tent, the insects lining up on the outside of the mesh. Some insects and mosquito bites are not my concern while camping. This is just part of it. But that was way too much. We couldn't enjoy our stay at all and so we left after a week instead after two.

One of the more....interesting outhouses I have seen.

So you sit there and do your thing and then you see a bear in front of you....

Well, at least you can't sh.t your pants anymore.

Never again we will camp in June! And sadly to say, we will also never camp again in a ZEC. I told the park staff that I searched a secluded and quiet space, but instead we had fisherman waking us up at 6 or 7 in the morning with their motor vehicles and groups of motor-cross enthusiast roamed in the forest. We were never alone and it was never quiet... A ZEC is something for sports, but not for nice quiet camping. The second reason for our early leave... I wish the staff had told me...

But at least we saw a deer, two bald eagles and lots of loons! And we took use of our rented car and still hiked one day in Mont-Tremblant.

Just one week before we left for the wilderness I had an accident. I was in a hurry to get to my driving class (yep, you saw right, driving class ^^) and I thought, I just do the dishes quickly before that. But apparently you have to be in the right mood for cleaning dirty plates and glasses. Just like you shouldn't eat when you're angry. But I wasn't in the right mood and so a glass broke in my hand and I cut myself so badly that I was bleeding all over the place and needed to go to the ER to be sewn back together with six stitches.

The tough part here was the waiting time in the hospital. I heard a lot about those. Rumors that they're under the worst in the world, whispers about people who have to wait for hours and some even just go home again, reports of overworked and underpaid doctors.

Well, I can confirm that now. I reached the ER at 5.30 pm on an unspectacular lazy Friday and I left the ER 1 am in the morning, so 7 and a half hours later.

The reception guys and doctors were all super nice, I managed to make some jokes about the beautiful Friday and that getting tattoos and piercings doesn't prepare you for this (my legs were shaking so much that the hospital bed started to squeak; "Pull yourself together, Zora! That's embarrassing!") and the guy that made me my Frankenstein-hand even joked back. But there aren't nearly enough of them.

But the worst thing was actually that the vending machine ate our five dollars. What the hell vendor XO I have to wait 7 hours, tired and hungry, and then you eat my money? Really? And then you make me watch how everyone else is pulling food out of you, except of me? How can you be so heartless?!?

Well, everything is fine now. My body always heals pretty fast and the scars make me more badass!

Freshly treated after a fistfight with a tumbler.

Ok, now I can't keep it a secret anymore: I'm learning how to drive! The plan was actually to get my drivers licence before I turn Level 30, but I'm too late with that now. I already passed the first theory test like a pro and got my learners licence. That means I can officially make the streets unsafe (I'm sure that's not a proper English translation for the German saying, but it just fits so well), as long as someone with a drivers licence is sitting next to me, to keep me from bumping into things or drive into a one way street from the wrong end. And since the driving schools and tests here in Canada are still kind of young, they aren't elaborate yet. I actually found a wrong answer to a question in the questionnaire on the website of the SAAQ (the local vehicle and traffic agency) with which you can test your traffic rule knowledge. I wrote them and they really called me back and told me that I was right and that they will change it (I didn't expect that). Call me picky, but as a German citizen I value safe streets a lot!

I'm mostly surrounded by teenagers in class, but with my youthful face I blend in perfectly!

Next to that I went all crafty again (before the thing with my hand). I made a nice macrame hanging shelf, so that my violin finally has a nice resting place.

Hamlet went to the vet and he is in perfect health and has perfect teeth and the vet said, that he is a really big cat

(big, not fat; he is actually pretty thin). Awesome! They needed to take blood and two of them had to press him down

while a third one tapped him. He can be a furious one!

And I build a litterbox cabinet. I couldn't find a nice cabinet that can hold two litterboxes and so I thought I just make it myself. So I bought a bunch of wood and rolled up my sleeves!

I bought those amazing lion onlays from an etsy shop called "Woodenicons"

to get a slightly ironic touch an this project.

It's not perfect, but hey, my first real piece of furniture!

And then I build this funny thing.

Now I finally can hang the laundry with some stile!

And yes, we have a catwheel now, and yes, they use it! They accidentally send us the

jaguar pattern instead of the black one....

Since I didn't find the time to paint in the last few months I dragged my butt to lifedrawing at least and I will try to keep up with it. You can see my artistic outpourings on my instagram.