Green Spaces

A warm blustery west wind, Le Ponent, was blowing back and forth through my apartment, tapping and slamming doors and windows that refused to remain wedged open. The rustle of the trees below my balcony at times was the only sound to be heard.

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Shawna Coronado is an avid gardener and green fiend. She’s probably one of the few who is not tweeting a marketing agenda on Twitter and actually says something about her life, hobbies, the environemnt, and her cute dog, Harry The Pug. Though Baka The Bichon is cuter IMHO 😉

Now I’m no gardener. I have neither patience or temperament for it, plus allergies tends to put me off the idea. However, I still appreciate both tended and natural green spaces; the calm that can be found in a garden, park, or forest, away from the hustle and diesel of busy streets. I try to appreciate them when ever I can, particularly while out walking Baka.

The neighbourhood I live in Cannes (just below SuperCannes) has many green spaces, typically on the grounds of private homes and estates. In between them are many natural spaces in areas where it is very difficult to build like step ravines and gullies. I like these particular spaces, as they’re woody, shady, almost magical, as though they are home to Kami.

Alternate States of Mind

Typically I can work amidst distractions such as music, the chatter of cow-orkers, instant messaging pings, and twitter except when I have one of those mental blocks a programmer sometimes gets when faced with a problem the resembles a maze of twisty passages, all alike. Then the slightest bat of an eyelash or breathless whisper can derail the locomotive of my thoughts.

It’s as these times, that I’ll play with Baka a little, fold the clean pile of laundry, go for walk; essentially fall back a step and remember to breath.

I eventually broke through the past week of writer’s block and felt the world shift. My colleague, Steve F. in the UK, was so pleased to hear of the successful conclusion as we talked over Skype that he had me wait as he disappeared for a moment, distant sounds of bumps and bangs, only to return with the sound of a quick click and hiss of a cold one being opened in honour of the occasion. Cheers.

Today is one of those lovely sunny, slightly breezy, spring days in Cannes. Baka and I once more strolled through the fée gully, with the Jasmine now in bloom, along with the Judas and Wisteri.

I of course tweeted my #haiku of the experience and then out of curiosity visited twyric to see it presented with a picture. I was pleased with the choice. I sat and read some of the others as they passed by and noticed one from @jaava that struck a familiar chord.

Update 30 Apr 2009