First and foremost, I have much more self-confidence. Crossing some of the less travelled roads in Canada on a bike certainly has left me with a bit of an “I can do anything” feeling. I went into the interview process feeling like I can do anything. I was not afraid to be myself and did not feel the need to create an artificial image of myself. I figured they could “take me or leave me”, and if they did not like me, then it was not meant to be. This made for a mutual interview process, where both sides were interviewing the other. I found that I left each of the interviews feeling like I would fit right in.

I find that I am much less afraid to ask for what I need or want. In Canada, our cultural norms tell us that it is impolite to ask for things. We wait patiently and hope that someone will offer us what we need or want. This applies in the workplace too, where we expect our coworkers or bosses to feed us the information we need to do our jobs. This behaviour is flawed, because it expects that those who would make the offer of assistance can read our minds and know what we need. On our trip, the flaw in our cultural norms was emphasized when our Turkish friends told us “if you don’t ask us for what you need, we will think you don’t like us.”  Sometimes giving others the opportunity to help provides both sides with something they desire.

Finally, I find that I am much calmer. When my second day of work got really busy – yes I am already working directly with customers - I found myself able to step away from the busy-ness and watch. I no longer feel the urge to make myself busy, or the need to make myself important. I am happy to be there, do the best that I can, and walk out the door at the end of the day putting it all aside (or at least mostly, I have been known to check my work email from home – mostly as a means to procrastinate on something else that I should be doing – like updating the blog!). I do hope that I can remember this calm as I transition to full time and get more attached to my job.

For some, Thanksgiving is a family time. For us, Thanksgiving is a time we share with friends, catching up on all the events of the last year. Our particular Thanksgiving tradition involves renting a cottage or two somewhere between Chicoutimi, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario. Several families decend upon the cottage for the long weekend. All the families that participate in this weekend have a Kitimat connection – that is, they have all lived in Kitimat, British Columbia at one time or another. This is one of the few yearly rituals which we have developed ourselves, rather than inheriting from our families or our society, so it is special to us.

Our tradition involves a hike to enjoy the spectacular views and a Thanksgiving feast where everyone contributes something different to the table. Dinner always involves a delicious turkey or two.

We enjoyed our hike this year on a nice bright Sunday morning, which was followed by snow flurries on Sunday afternoon! Fortunately, the snow cleared before our drive home on Monday.

This year, all the families but ours came from Chicoutimi-Jonquiere, and work at the Rio-Tinto/Alcan plants there. This is the same Alcan which Becky’s parents worked for in Kitimat, so all of them knew her parents, even those we hadn’t met before. Everyone but us has children, so it is fun for both of us to visit and play with them, but the level of kid activity is often a challenge by the end of the weekend, especially for us. This year the kids are growing up, so it is possible to send them off in the care of the oldest ones for a time. A welcome reprieve for all!

Being able to celebrate Thanksgiving in our usual way was another reminder that we are home, but seeing how the children have grown definitely showed us that time had passed in our absence.

Sunday morning walk in the woods.

Beautiful waterfall at the end of the pathway.

Yes, Scott still has some pretty amazing tan lines!

A Sunday afternoon snowfall, just to make things interesting.

Preparing a Thanksgiving feast.

Ron going a little crazy with the knife.

Sunday night we had a vistor – who enjoyed the scraps of our turkey dinner!

The ride to Riviere-du-Loup seemed more painful than it should have been. We were eager to get moving, but I was in need of frequent stops. Just before entering Riviere-du-Loup, Scott says “let’s make this a quick stop”. I was starving, so I wanted to stop for lunch, but I didn’t say anything. It felt too soon to stop as we wanted to get within a short ride (50 km ish) of Rimouski today. We also needed a grocery store stop, as we were out of fruit and had nothing for supper.

As we entered town, things got confusing quickly. There were no signs indicating which way we should go, and the roads got big (multi-lanes in each direction). We didn’t want to end up on an expressway. We ended up on the 132 for a short distance, then turned and headed to a grocery store. At the grocery store, I sent Scott in (rather than me), as he wanted to the stop to be quick and I am not that quick at groceries. I also felt like he wasn’t really listening to me today, so rather than deal with him thinking we needed to move faster, I figured I’d do the waiting and let him to the shopping. He came out of the grocery store with a desire to have lunch there
(he was tempted by the rotisserie chicken). So, we moved to a bench and some shade and I sent Scott back into the grocery store to get lunch. After what seemed like forever, he came back with lunch for him and nothing for me! We clearly did not communicate that one well. I ended up going in and getting pretty much the same thing he had. Not exactly an efficient stop!

Shortly after lunch, we were back on the road. I started to get a really bad headache. I was hoping we would come across a picnic table in the shade somewhere, and I could take a couple of Tylenol and nap for 20 minutes before continuing. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen .. there was no shade to found and no picnic tables either.

We followed the 132 for a while rather than the Route Verte to avoid hills. There was more traffic after Riviere-du-Loup because Highway 20 ends; however, with more traffic came better roads and wider shoulders. So although it wasn’t as interesting riding, it was definitely comfortable and efficient.

After arriving in Trois Pistoles, I noticed my thighs were red and sore. I had put sunscreen on, so I didn’t think it was a burn. Scott said it looked more like a rash. I figure that something I ate has caused an allergic reaction of some kind (or sensitivity). I was quite unhappy with that, had a headache still, and was feeling uncomfortable. We looked into a hotel rather than camping, but couldn’t find anything that looked reasonable, and the weather was nice. In the end, we ended up camping at the municipal campground which was quite beautiful (another nice wooded campsite).

Pulling into the campsite, Scott made a comment that made me realize that he was under an incorrect assumption. He thought the boat was leaving on Monday, and so we needed to get to Rimouski early in the day Sunday to get some of our chores done. Actually, the boat leaves on Tuesday, so by getting to Rimouski on Sunday, we have all day Monday to do chores and relax.

Scott says:

After Riviere du Loup, the Route Verte takes all kinds of back roads and gravel pathways, but after the first bit we stuck to the highway. The wide shoulders were great – very comfortable riding despite cars and truck passing at 100+ kph. We’re definitely stronger on hills now…

The only gravel section we did was in L’estuaire – a combination of foot paths and gravel roads. It was quite a neat area, and would be fun to ride further. On one section, grass had overgrown the wheel ruts to the point where riding was getting dicey, then we ran into some serious birders on the path. That was a good hint to turn around and strike back for the highway.

Last week, I had the opportunity (and pleasure) of attending two public talks given by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama (one talk in Ottawa and another in Toronto). I was struck by his warmheartedness and the fullness of his laugh. The following paragraphs describe my interpretation of the various messages presented by His Holiness.

From the time we are born, the affection given to us by our mothers is critical for our development, both physical and mental. There is scientific evidence that links brain development with affection in our early years. Physical affection helps kids grow up healthy. Our bodies respond to affection with a stronger immune system.

Providing affection towards others leads to personal happiness. A corollary to that is self-centered attitudes cause loneliness. Affection also leads to trust, and trust leads to genuine friendship. From the opposite perspective, a lack of affection leads to fear and distrust. In addition, anger, fear, and hatred weakens the immune system and shortens your life. Our physical well being is linked to our emotions.

A healthy, happy community begins with healthy happy individuals. World peace begins with inner peace. Individual affection leads to world peace.

In our global world, we need to realize that destruction of our neighbour is actually destruction of ourselves. The concept of war is out-dated (obsolete), since it leads to self-destruction. The division of we versus they (us versus them) leads to war.

Conflicts should be solved through dialogue. We should be teaching our children how to dialogue effectively. We should send our kids to spend time living in other countries. This helps them to develop an appreciative understanding of other cultures as well as true friendships. Appreciative understanding helps dialogue and true friendships lead to peace.

A concrete path to world peace is to start by merging the armed forces of the world. As countries sign-on to a unified world-army, there would be no one left to fight. This would lead to dis-armament. The unified world-army would be available to all member-states in the even to natural disasters.

All religions should be respected, including the non-believers. Religions can be categorized as either theistic or causational. That is, religions either believe in a supreme being (gods) or they believe in causal relationships (karma). The best religion for a person is the one that is associated to their culture and family. This is because they are most familiar with it, and as a result they can develop a deeper understanding of it. As for the non-believers, they can choose .

On my initial outings, I rode mostly on bicycle paths. I was not yet comfortable riding on the roads with traffic. The path was shared with pedestrians. The bike did not have a bell, so I found myself often speaking “I’ll be passing on your left”. When I did this, one of two things happened. The person either: turned around to look at me and said hello while getting out of the way; or they completely ignored me. I found myself torn between enjoying the interactions associated with not having a bell and concern that I’d run into someone because they ignored my warning.

After the first week, I gave into the concern and installed a bell. I now find that when I ring the bell people turn around and look at me. They usually smile and some even say hello. People coming the other direction almost always stare, say hello, or say “nice bike”.

When people stare, I’ve gotten into the habit of saying “good morning” or “good afternoon”. They are a little bit surprised, but often they return the greeting with a smile.

Today, I was riding on much busier streets. I found that I was often making eye contact with the drivers. That didn’t happen nearly as frequently or as easily on my road bike. I find that occasionally a driver will give me the right of way (when I don’t have it). I suspect that is because they want to see how one rides a recumbent. I don’t recall this ever happening on a regular bike. I’m a little worried that this may pose a safety problem, as I was taught that it was dangerous not to take the right of way when you had it.

So far, my initial impressions of ‘bent riding is that it is more social. You are in a position that makes it easy for you to look people in the eye, which often results in a hello or good morning/afternoon. The greeting may be brief, but it is much friendlier than the silent passing that usually occurs when you speed past on a regular bike.

I had been rather anxious and stressed lately. I had not been sleeping well; my dreams filled with worry over all that still needs to be done before we can depart on our trip. A few days ago, a friend inquired about when my car would be for sale. That is when it began to really sink in. We are actually going to do this trip! Adding to the need to sell my car, I was at the end of a six-month contract. Once that finished, I would be working full-time at packing up the house and preparing for the trip.

A big area of concern for me was the lack of a decision regarding bicycles. At the best of times, I do not handle uncertainty well. That may be one of my greatest challenges on this trip, the uncertainty that is necessarily part of a long bicycle journey. Regarding bicycles, we liked the idea of riding on recumbents, but were not certain it was the right approach. We decided to make a pilgrimage to the BicycleMan in Alfred Station New York to try different types of recumbents and see if they were right.

On Wednesday, April 2, 2008 after work, we packed up the car and headed towards Alfred Station. Our plan was to drive most of the way there, spend the night in an inexpensive hotel, and then arrive at the store shortly after it opened on Thursday morning.

We arrived at the hotel after midnight. I was exhausted. I was both excited and afraid. I had grand expectations about the bicycle shopping experience. I was afraid that the experience would be negative and that we would not find the right bikes. I was afraid that my excitement was leading to unrealistic expectations, which in-turn, would lead to disappointment. At one point, I turned to Scott and told him “I need to remember to enjoy the experience.” I needed to put all my hopes and dreams of the future aside, and enjoy each day for what it was. I decided that I would take the one-day-at-a-time approach to this bicycle shopping experience.

Thursday began with bright sunshine and crisp air. It was hovering at around 8 degrees Celsius (about 45 degrees Fahrenheit). We arrived at the bike store at 10:30 am, after a 90 minute drive. After two cups of coffee, my brain was focused on finding restroom facilities!

The Bicycle Man store is in an old school-house on a busy street. We walked in the front door and were greeted by a shop packed full of recumbent bicycles. There were at least 60 different bikes, with many different designs. There were three wheeled tricycles (trikes) and two wheelers; bikes that were low to the ground and others that were higher up; long wheel-base bikes and short wheel-base bikes, and there were even a few tandem bikes too. There was definitely a wide variety. I scanned the room, looking for the one brand I was familiar with, and tried to make sense of the chaos of other bikes.

After a minute or two of looking around, Titus, one of the mechanics, appeared from the back of the store to greet us. We provided him with a brief summary of our trip and told him we had come to test ride bikes. I asked for advice on which bikes to try out. Scott also listed the specific bikes he had researched prior to coming. Scott had done a lot of research before coming and he had several email discussions with Peter about bikes to test ride. In addition to the bikes we had on our list, Titus recommended that we try out the Linear Limo 3.0 (Linear), which was manufactured at the store.

I asked about where we could test ride. Titus suggested the church parking lot across the street. He also said if we wanted a little longer stretch to ride, that there was a quiet side street about 200 yards down the road to the left. I was immediately concerned. We had come a long way (six hour drive) to test ride bikes. I was expecting to be able to take bikes on longer test rides. This did not align with my expectations. I reminded myself that this was just the first step, and I had to take it one step at a time, and just enjoy the experience.

After a quick trip up to the local service station (the Bicycle Man does not have running water, and the composting toilets were not yet open for the season), we headed out on our first test ride of the day. I had an HP Velotechnik StreetMachine (StreetMachine) and Scott had an Oracle Omega Tour (Omega). We necessarily started out on the church parking lot, as riding a short wheel-base recumbent can take a little while to learn. We quickly graduated to the side street which was just over 1 km long.

Once we completed riding the side street, I wanted to do a quick change over between bikes. I saw that the Omega and StreetMachine were very similar. I wanted to do an immediate comparison while the memory was still fresh. We returned to the bicycle shop and looked for assistance. There were other customers at the shop now, keeping both Peter (the Bicycle Man himself) and Titus busy. After standing around in the shop for awhile, the bikes were reset and we were ready for our second test ride. Titus came out of the shop and brought out a Linear for us to try as well.

The second test ride did not go well for me. I got the bike to the church parking lot only to discover that the chain was so long that it was getting caught against itself at the back. I had to walk the bike back over to the shop to see if it could get reset. I caught Peter’s attention briefly and he recommended that I only use certain gears. I decided that rather than taking such a restricted ride, I would try out the Linear. So, our second test ride of the day was Scott on the StreetMachine and me on the Linear.

We did a third test ride, with me on a RANS Rocket before stopping for a late lunch. I felt like we were spending too much time standing around in the shop and not enough time actually riding bikes. I felt that we had a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time in which to do it. I was afraid that we would not find bikes in the next two-and-a-half days and that we would return home without having resolved which bikes we would ride on our trip.

At lunch I shared with Scott my concerns and my desire for a strategy for after lunch. We were aware that the weather for Friday was not favorable for test riding, so we needed to make a preliminary decision that day. We decided that after lunch, we would focus on trying the bikes that were on the list Scott had put together.

I reminded myself constantly to let Scott take the lead in this decision making process. He takes a lot more time to make decisions, carefully researching and thinking through the alternatives. I am more impulsive and not always happy with the results. So, I tried my best to let this decision occur at Scott’s pace not mine.

After lunch we returned to the shop. There was a delay before we picked up some different bikes to ride. Titus asked us which bikes we wanted to ride. I was looking for advice on what we should try out, but to me, he did not appear confident in his recommendations. I did not feel that he really understood what type of bike would be best for our tour. It became clear later that Peter was the best one to answer a lot of our questions about the different types of bikes. Titus helped us a lot in setting up bikes for us, but he didn’t have the same background on the different bikes (and the various trade-offs for each bike).

I was feeling the time pressure again, and wanted direction from the experts at Bicycle Man. I did not feel like I had the time to just randomly try bikes, rather, I wanted my test riding to be more structured. So, in the end, we used Scott and Peter’s list to determine which bikes we would try out.

We did three more test rides after lunch. During one of these rides, I paused a moment to take a deep breath. I reminded myself again to enjoy the experience. In that way, bicycle shopping is like sex. If you spend all our time worrying about the final goal, you miss out on the joy of the experience. If you instead, spend your time focusing on enjoying the entire experience, when you reach your goal you are much more satisfied.

In one of our between ride breaks at the shop, we met Bryan, the editor of ‘Bent Online. Bryan mentioned that the Oracle Omega City (City) was a smaller version of the Oracle Omega Tour and that it might be easier for me to try. Scott really wanted me to try an Oracle Omega, so we setup the City to fit me. I took it out to the parking lot for a short spin. It didn’t work for me, I couldn’t reach the handle bars. I also found the seat to be uncomfortable and the built-in headrest banged against my helmet.

Near the end of the day, we concluded that we preferred under-seat steering, and had a short list of two bikes: the StreetMachine and the Linear. Our next step was to take the two finalist bikes out on a more challenging test ride. We wanted to try the bikes out on dirt roads and hills. We were thinking of the more rigorous ride for Friday, but Peter encouraged us to take the bikes out Thursday evening to avoid riding in the rain on Friday. He directed us to a hilly gravel back road and let us take the bikes out just as the shop was closing. We were to return them to his front porch (next door to the shop) before dark.

Our final test ride proved to be a challenge. The hill was rather steep, and I was surprised at how difficult it was to ride the bike up it. Part of the challenge was that you were riding slowly, which meant that it was much more difficult to balance. I actually fell over when trying to start the StreetMachine when going uphill. The good news is, the fall was not nearly as traumatic as a fall off my diamond frame bike. It was much easier to “roll” while falling, which significantly reduced the impact on my poor body!

The down hills were interesting too. I found that the Linear (with its long wheel base and no suspension), would cause a vibration on the washboard that made my eyes go fuzzy. The Streetmachine with its full suspension could bounce over the washboard comfortably, but when the frequency was just right you would bounce too much and start to lose control. Fortunately, this was easily solved by applying the brakes slightly, so that you didn’t hit that resonance speed.

The end of day ride was delightful. Although the Linear was a nice ride, we both preferred the feel and maneuverability of the StreetMachine. From my perspective, we had made a decision!

Friday morning we awoke to a lot of rain. We lazed around in bed for a while before dragging ourselves up and preparing for another day. Since it was raining, we were not going to be riding; however, it was a great opportunity to hang around the bike shop and get our many questions answered.

We spent most of the day hanging out at the shop. I reminded myself to relax and just enjoy the experience. Peter, Keith (the service manager), Bryan, and Titus were all there. We spent the day chatting about a variety of things. Stories were shared about bicycle touring and totally unrelated topics like computers and military service. Throughout the day, I found myself discovering new questions and receiving great advice. I don’t think I would have learned nearly as much if I didn’t spend the time hanging out. Peter was interrupted every time the phone rang. Often the questions asked by the caller prompted a series of questions from us, or story from one of the guys at the shop.

Near the end of the day, we reviewed the price sheet for the StreetMachine. The weather report called for beautiful weather on Saturday, so we planned to go on a longer ride. Peter warned us that the shop would be busy on a beautiful Saturday. Keith drew us a map of a route that was about 45 km long, that involved rolling hills , a long gentle climb and a steep downhill. At 6pm we were kicked out of the shop as it closed for the night.

That evening, Scott spent a lot of time debating. He didn’t think I had given the City a fair try on Thursday. In discussions with Peter and Bryan on Friday, he saw that the handlebars could be raised several inches from where they were, so he thought the bike could be adjusted to fit me better. Scott found the Omega’s ride to be comparable to the StreetMachine, the Omega was much less expensive, and it was made in Canada. I think the latter influenced his opinion more than he would admit.

On Saturday morning, I agreed to give the City a try. If I could make it fit, we would try both the Omega and the StreetMachine on a longer ride. I was still hesitant and a little frustrated. I had thought we had made a decision, and I really didn’t want to waste time test riding something that I didn’t like. However, I reminded myself that this is about being certain, and if Scott had doubts, I had to ensure they were addressed. So, I agreed to give it a try.

My second City test ride was longer than the first. I did ride it the full length of the side road. The handle bars were raised as high as they would go. I found I could reach them much better, but a slight stretch was still necessary to grasp them fully. With the seat adjusted to my body, it still didn’t fit as well as the StreetMachine. Also the headrest was still very uncomfortable with my helmet on. The headrest could be chopped off, but the other problems were harder to fix. Perhaps the bike could be made work for me, but I really felt that it was a compromise. I didn’t want to compromise when I knew there was another bike that fit better. We decided to give up on the Omega and go back to the StreetMachine.

When we got back from our test ride, several other customers had arrived and the shop was starting to feel chaotic. Scott and I setup the two StreetMachines and took off for the 45 km ride that Keith had recommended. Scott setup his bike with a pannier full of bricks, so that he could feel how the bike rode with a load.

The long ride was glorious. The rolling side road had almost no traffic. The rolling hills provided me with an opportunity to discover how a correctly-adjusted seat back could be used for increase power when climbing hills. Riding down the hills was exhilarating. I love the feel of the wind on my face, especially when the air is fresh and free of pollution. When the side road ended we joined along a busy stretch of highway, which had a good shoulder. Although the road was not nice, it provided a level of confidence that we could ride on busier roads.

Then there was the big climb. The hills seemed to be going up forever. At one point, Scott got a little bit too close the soft shoulder and fell over. Fortunately, it was not a far fall and he was not hurt. We continued on the climb, for what seemed like forever (about 8 km). Once we reached the top, the trip down was an adrenaline rush. It was all downhill with many different turns in the road. I was glad that we did not climb in that direction, as the downhill was much steeper than the uphill. Forty-five minutes of climbing was reduced to less than 10 minutes of downhill.

When we returned, the shop was even more chaotic than when we left. Titus had left for the day, and Peter was the only person in the store. There were at least five different customers trying out a range of bicycles, and Peter was being pulled in many directions at once. We chatted with several of the customers and shared our experiences, limited as they were.

Scott spent some time with a lady who had a stroke two years ago and was back on a bicycle for the first time. He helped adjust her handlebars to get better control. She was struggling with turning but having a grand time enjoying the experience. Scott also had difficulty turning with the new recumbent he was trying, so he was able to share that learning to turn wasn’t necessarily easy on a new bike. He said later that the glow on the lady’s face was one of the highlights of the weekend for him.

At the end of the day, we agreed that the StreetMachine was the right choice for us at this time. We would figure out the details over the weekend and place the order on Monday, which coincidentally was the seventh anniversary of our engagementJ.

I am really glad we went and I am really glad we spent three days there. I am also glad that the weather was awful the second day. The time we spent hanging around the shop allowed us to get to know the people there much better than we would have if it was busy or if we were out riding the whole time.

Bicycling shopping provided a short insight into one of the lessons our trip will bring us; the need to slow down and enjoy the experience. We will need to remind ourselves to for live for the day. The past and the future are there, but they are not today, so do not regret the past or worry about the future. I have spent too much time anticipating and imagining this trip. I need to let go of my imagined trip so I can enjoy the actual one as it happens.

On the weekend of April 11^th, 2008, Scott and I attended a workshop offered by the Encounter World Religions Centre hosted by the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa and the Ottawa congregation of the Community of Christ. The presenter, JW Windland, is the founder of the centre. If you ever get a chance to attend a workshop by JW, I highly recommend attending. I am envious of the University students who find themselves in his classroom for an entire semester. He is a dynamic speaker and an extraordinary story teller. I found myself captivated throughout the lecture portion of the workshop – even on Friday night!

The workshop began with a 2-hour presentation outlining the symbols and quotations from 28 world religions. What I didn’t know about the Christian faiths really surprised me. I was more familiar with the religions that originated in India (India Religions) than the variety of Christian faiths that are common within the communities in which I have lived.

It was particularly interesting to hear the presentation of my own faith, Unitarian Universalism. I realized that the information presented was more of a historical perspective of the faith – that is, where it originated from – rather than a current perspective. The presented history of the origins of Unitarian Universalism was accurate from a global perspective, but the history seems to be missing some key influences.

Unitarianism is based on the belief in one God, in contrast to the trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Universalism is based on the belief of universal salvation, that is, everyone goes to heaven. The two faith communities joined together to form Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism in Canada (and the United States) is heavily influenced by a variety of other faiths including Humanism and Pagan faiths. Some Unitarian Universalists consider themselves Christians, but many do not. A presentation of Unitarian Universalism that implies that it is a Christian faith does not feel authentic to me.

Seeing the presentation of my own faith allowed me to put the presentation of other faiths into perspective. The information was historically accurate, but I kept in mind that it did not necessary provide an accurate view of the faith communities today.

Saturday morning began with a 3-hour presentation. The religions of the world were classified into three categories based upon their origins:

• Middle-Eastern religions: these include Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
• India religions: these include Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism.
• Balanced religions: these include native and aboriginal beliefs, paganism, and Wicca.

Within each classification, certain questions were answered that outline typically how followers of the different faiths think. The classifications are generalizations; therefore, they make broad assumptions that do not necessarily apply within specific instances.

The presentation began with the faiths that we were most familiar with – those of the Middle-Eastern religions. Middle-Eastern religions have the concept of god as a single all-powerful being (God, Allah, and Yahweh). To be a follower, you must be accepted into the faith community through some form of ritual or rituals. For example, Christians have baptism and Muslims make a declaration of their faith. You are not considered to be part of the religion until you have been accepted by an authority of that faith (clergy or congregation). Middle-Eastern faiths also have spiritual practices that involve the community. For example, for Muslims; praying together is considered more beneficial than praying alone.

India religions do not have the same concept of God; rather they have a concept of god within each person. To be a follower, you simply declare yourself to be of that faith. The focus is on the individual and the spiritual practice is individually focused. There are still group spiritual practices; however, the path to “enlightenment” is an individual journey, so there is no requirement or preference for group practice.

I was generally familiar with a few Middle-Eastern and India religions, but did not have any familiarity with the balanced faiths. As a result, I do not feel that I was able to grasp the general concepts well. From my limited understanding, balanced faiths look to the universe as a whole as god. Spiritual practices are about re-balancing things that for one reason or another have become out of balance. I think there is a paradigm shift between the Middle-Eastern or India religions and the balanced religions that I do not quite understand yet.

The presentations brought up the idea of being “culturally” influenced by a specific faith. For example, in North America, we are “culturally Christian”. The laws and morals in our society are highly influenced by Christian faiths. In Ontario, they still read the Lords Prayer at the opening of provincial parliament! In Arab nations and the most of the Middle East the societies are “culturally Muslim”. I am intrigued to discover what this really means, and I hope that our travels through Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Malaysia will help me discover that.

Perhaps the biggest learning for me was the awareness that I was interpreting things through a Christian (and more specifically Catholic) lens. This perspective was preventing me from being truly open to other faiths. In Catholicism, you cannot participate in certain rituals until you have been accepted by an authority of the church and participated in the associated initiation ritual. For example, you cannot participate in communion until you have attended the appropriate catechism (church school) and participated in the First Communion ceremony. This means that aspects of the faith are only available to those that have been indoctrinated. I used this lens when entering any place of worship. I felt like an interloper – an outsider – and was very uncomfortable with the idea of participating in rituals. The Saturday session made me realize that I was viewing the world faiths through the Catholic lens, and once I removed that lens, I felt like a fog was lifted. I was suddenly able to see and “encounter” the other faiths without the barriers that I didn’t realize I had.

Saturday afternoon involved four “encounters” with world religions:

• A talk by a Cree woman (Canadian aboriginal).
• A visit to a Taiwanese Buddhist temple.
• A visit to an Islamic Mosque.
• A visit to a Sikh Gurdwara.

I’ll share my reflections on the various encounters in separate posts.