I will be arriving in Toronto for a medical appointment on the 2nd of April, and staying until the 7th.

2014?

Inanna, I initially thought you were trying to find a silly way to say 5 feet 7 inches.

Never been to the finger lakes area. Sorry.

Sorry May 2nd until the 7th

tawarna, that must be like a whole other country?

hope you had a time, Alex

i'm having a blast in the country of NY here -- the finger lakes district, all the fossils, the British countryside. the strange accents, the different cultural norms, the blasted heaths & endless streams cricks & creeks...

and maybe a thunderstorm tomorrow

and tomorrow--Niagra!  will pay homage to the Great Canadian Hero, John Candy

have you ever been to a place in canada where you felt you were in another country or encountered culture shock?

Best movie ever! Do look out for Rhea Perlman while you are there!

Yes - Newfoundland and Labrador are so very different from what I have experienced elsewhere in Canada, and their culture is definately unique and in a good way.

at the Ashram Hotel right now--conceirge a cutie--crepescular rays outside--very humid like a Turkish sauna...looking for places to gain sustenance...

may go on the whistling cave tour -- one of us has no sea legs at all

visited buffalo NY -- when entered, was told by sister-in-law to not make any untoward gestures or actions -- felt like i was in danger but not understanding the laws so i tried not to do anything (was in car)...then a chance of a lifetime to see her scientology church...wonderful experience...had a testing done (was told 'do i want to see a thought'); the result: looks like i've already achieved clear/am an enlightened master without being a scientologist ;3

gorgeous buildings in Buffalo & Ithaca...finger lakes go on for kms & km

Hi Inanna:

I am sure you are an enlightened master—without being a scientologist.

Ina, I hope you went to the Canadian side of the falls, they truly are much prettier.

Sounds like you are enjoying your visit Inanna - it is beautiful countryside in the finger lakes area - and those 'accents' - well, at least you're not in Rhode Island, or Boston ... :-0

*blush*

enthusiastic me wanted to take photos...seems like i triggered some sort of behavioural game...they were uncertan so they had to check with a plaque outside that said no cameras permitted -- our tour guide said that is probably only for the media, my sister-in-law said it meant all cameras, so, no photos for me...but i did get a nice portfolio with some of the pictures i wanted to take...

here is their church building

gorgeous architecture; a building built in 1898

curious that some of their holy symbols incorporates what looks like a christian cross...

according to our tour guide (who is being married next month at the building), each Church has a different official uniform which matches the decor of that particular Church...this location had a nice combo of black & brass/gold

also according to our tour guide, each Church has a special room for L Ron Hubbard

i've heard that; we're currently on the US side *waves to canada across the river*

alas, i didn't bring my passport or any ID :3

i've already got lots of photos...

You should check out the town where Joeseph Smith found the book of Mormon.

Also besure to check out Susan B Anthony's grave, a very popular site for lesbians to make a pilgramage.

Also the city of Rochester is full of moments/ schools/parks/ etc named after what many say is one of the great life long  love affairs between two men.

Officially George Eastman and Dr. Henry S. Durand were life long friends. Eastman founded Kodak, but never married. Two years after Dr Durand died, Eastman committed suicide. According to Kodak, it was due to illness, but locally in Rochester many say George died of a broken heart and grief.  .  The two are linked forever,  since Kodak left the bulk of his fortune to the community, and many sites established with his money (from before and after he died, as stipulated in his will) are named after Eastman, Durand, or both. In particluar there is  the city's largest park Durand Eastman park 

Due to homophobia, it was not spoken about for years, and Kodak was Rochester's largest employer for years,, and yet evrywhere you go in the town you see Durand-Eastman this, and Durand Eastman that.

:3

i seem to be hearing multiple subtle accents in the finger lakes area...i can't categorize them yet...i saw my first real live blue jay!  and the birds are active at 3 am.

no thunderstorm today

mmm, this area is dripping with history

thankee for the tale of kodak -- i've never hoid of it afore

Ah yes, Hubbard, formerly of the Ordo Templi Orientis, which is an international neo Gnostic pseudo Christian sect with a branch in Victoria, and is affiliated with the Gnostic Catholic Church with a branch in Vancouver. So the Christian cross is not surprising. Hubbard had a falling out with Aleistair Crowley of the O.T.O., and decided to found his own sect, the Church of Scientology. Scientology sells so-called esoteric knowledge for a lot of money, knowledge that can be had for free by anyone who knows how to meditate, contemplate, and think.

That's why you are a Master of Scientology, eh, Inna?

all of Niagra is GORGEOUS

never expected the water to be TROPICAL BLUE!

weather started out perfect -- overcast, then graduated to moments of sunshine and cloud shaows

got SEVERE VERTIGO on the cantelever'd observation post of Sauron so i intentionally tried to scare myself more in a 'safer position' near a stable garbage can and a metal bench and LOOKED UP AT THE SKY AND FELT AS IF I WAS GOING TO FALL UP...

totally awesome fright

my reaction to "American falls" -- man, anyone who went over that would so die

saw the maid of the mist ferrying her blueberry passengers

got drenched by the spray of the 'Canadian falls'

goat island IS AWESOME -- statue of Nikola Tesla there and bizarre sea gulls who scream-perpetual-double-take for their food

waved to canada above the CLIFFS OF SHEER JOY

found myself wondering more than once "if i were to fall in, would i try to swim for the shore? give up?  or enjoy the ride?"

anyway, the experience didn't follow my expectations -- glad universe still surprises me that way

just came back from wine 'trail' -- which turned out to be driving from location to location which seemed bizarre to me but understandable due to the distances...which also made me think of the importance of fossil fuels & 'cars etc' for farmers...

if you ever find yourself by Cayuga lake and you love food, do check out the Pumpkin Hill Bistro -- http://pumpkinhillbistro.com/Pages/pumpkinhill.html (check out their gallery).  Outside i was serenaded by red wing blackbirds & a warm lake breeze...inside was good, substantial home cooked food (with vegetarian options) in a rustic setting (think 'english inn' or 'hobbit house')

still hoping for that thunderstorm

found some more interesting things on scientology from my sister-in-law; she has never heard of Xenu and such; when i asked what makes a scientologist a scientologist in the same way as what makes a christian an christian she said that each scientologist is and can be different, they are supposed to find the truth out for themselves...; i asked how l ron hubbard found out his techniques and ideas -- she supposed it was through extensive research and experiments...

No, I think he found out through the secret initiation rituals of the Ordo Templi Orientis.

Their "secret" rituals really are no more than deep meditation. They may have some version of the "Temple Sleep," a practice that goes back to ancient Egypt and brings about a pre-experience of death followed by a more or less prolonged state of suspended animation. In Yoga this is well known as the "Breakthrough Excercise." It is no secret in the East, but many Western esoteric societies have it as one of their secret initiation rituals.

Arminius,

sorry there; I was writing more in my 'in the moment tour of Niagra' mode and not trying to contradict you :3

I did not pass your information to my SIL :3

The funny bit was when I asked Lance, the guy who did the thought reading, how the machine worked, was there a positive and negative terminal...he didn't seem to know or wouldn't say...

It's so fun to talk with people who are open with their beliefs :3

Hi Inna:

I didn't think you contradicted me; I just spouted off the top of my head.

You better not tell your SIL. Members of esoteric societies tend to take their hard-won secrets rather seriously.

The most secret secret is, of course, that there is no secret. This secret must not be divulged any any circumstances, or that whole secrecy business would make no sense.

also,

i've never seen SO MANY SEAGULLS AT A FRESH WATER RIVER -- in Niagra Falls

i was thinking that maybe the falls are their version of a sauna or a shower?

well, we're at Syracuse airport -- the quietest airport i've ever been to

tried to bring some of our SIL's artesian spring water with us -- paraselene got pulled over at security for the amount of water she had left (6 oz? 8)-- she was allowed to bring it to the 'other side' to drink it because it is such G_OD water...something to baptize our innards with and makes our lips sing

security (just like different religious congregations) different at this airport -- no Total Recall scanner...one guy reminded me of a Mafia gunsel -- white hair, shadowy bits to his skin even though he was clean shaven...

have a 2 hour layover in CHI town (bucky ohare airport?), then on to PDX

didn't want to leave our SIL's house -- they live in paradise.  the 3 children of bast are cute and varied & we got to see them in a...rabbit kill?  the entrails looked like a collection of strange bugs

hopefully will be able to visit here again

if you're ever in the area, go to Purity ice cream in Ithaca -- best ice cream EV!!!

lots of g_od places to swim as well -- falls, cricks and creeks

oh, and wikileaks has some interesting documents and internal memos on scientology; those interested do check it out

I knew that wikileaks would expose them one day. I'll check it out. Thanks for the tip, Inna!

I think I've got about as much chance of getting to NY in my life time as I do of getting to the moon - or Europe etc etc etc

well-off relatives?

remote viewing?

astral travel?

teleportation?

find/abduct/rent a sugar daddy/mommy?

incur an alien abduction, get them to take you to NY state?

Summon the spirit of Marx, Engels, Lenin & Tesla; have Tesla invent a 'class struggle transmorg device' and hook up M, E & L to it...then, using the energy harnessed, fly over to wherever you want to go...simple ;3