#and guess what?? it turns out eating fresh fruit sand veggies and trying to get a walk in is good for you even if you are fat! whoda thunk

[shoutyourporpoise]

Actually WAIT something else just clicked for me I was like. SOUNDLY scolded for gaining the freshman 25 in undergrad and I’m not gonna claim I was eating super healthy bc I was not but it was treated as though it was due to a singular lack of self control on my part when like. I had JUST finished my arangetram in senior year when the only requirement was for me not to tank my grades???

I had just spent a whole year doing intense physical exercise practically every day and eating like an athlete only to go to undergrad where I was definitely not doing classical dance? And the veg options were VERY largely carb and cheese based and I was still trying to be veg so it was either eat unhealthy or hit the bottom of my checking account every month (also scolded).

Like I was doing taekwondo and yoga and swimming but of COURSE I was gonna gain a certain amount of weight bc the size I was for the year prior was like. The size a person would be at peak physical activity, not the size they’d be living the fairly sedentary life of a student.

[filmphreak]

Adam & Eve Vs. the Cannibals

So I’m watching ADAM & EVE MEET THE CANNIBALS.

Yep. I’m watching a movie called that. By whichever name you’re calling it (this is a retitling - the original name had no cannibals in it). I like the CANNIBALS title best – obviously. I’m an Italian cannibal movie aficionado, so that makes my preference even stronger. But since I’m only partway through the movie, I cannot attest to the titular accuracy of what is clearly a re-monikering by a distributor for whatever market he was trying to reach. I’m guessing an American distributor redubbed it to make it more sellable to exploitation crowds.

Turns out, though, even though nothing remotely cannibal-y has occurred, it’s a pretty fascinating movie. And a pretty movie.

There is a depiction of Creation during the opening titles. Lots of lava and geological upheaval, plus some nice but probably not overly expensive color FX. It’s a groovy sequence. Following that,  in the fresh, new world, something bursts from the dirt. A membranous cocoon out of which Adam tears himself.

Lonely, he goes on to sculpt the figure of a woman out of beach sand. But the rain comes to wash it away as soon as he’s done. In his despair, he fails to notice that the sand is being rained away from actual flesh. Adam is no longer alone.

And they explore each other and their new life and environment. They watch other animals reproduce (obviously built-in stock nature footage, but it works).

Then there is the serpent. I never realized before this movie how awesome Satan (as per the post-Judaic, Christian re-ordering of the primitive Eden mythos, but that is another chapter in another book entirely) sounds speaking in Italian. With a snake as avatar. Sweet!

Adam keeps trying to keep her from snacking on the forbidden fruit but eventually temptation overtakes and she succumbs. He joins her. Then they REALLY begin to explore each other.

But nature turns on them. A horrible wind blows through. Interestingly, so far God is represented here through manifestation as Nature. I can dig it. Happy God equals serene paradise, a hospitable enviro. Pissed-off God equals storms, volcanos (destructive rather than creative now), even boulders. (This leads to a great Indiana Jones-like scene. The FX are simple but a blast to watch.

Still no gutmunchers, but I’m hooked regardless. I suppose now that they’re booted from Eden and worrying about clothes and such, maybe now their luck will sour and cannibals will pick a fight. Who knows? But I’m on board for the ride.

Now they’re wandering in the desert, an environmental cue for the absence of God. And now the couple is bickering. The honeymoon is over.

NOTE: The loincloth in no way detracts from a strangely blond Eve’s sexiness.

Now, left-turn blinker. The couple discovers that nature is an antagonist to them now (i.e. they are suffering the consequences of God’s displeasure). God’s displeasure here takes the form of a stop-motion animated pterodactyl-ish thing.

At this point, I don’t care if cannibals ever come into the story. Because this movie just gets better and better.

NOTE: The togetherness in facing conflict re-bonds Eve. The archetypal imagery of the Judaic Eden myth is present here, and I even find some progressions of thought from the source. Interesting.

Oh, man. Cavemen. 2001: A Space Odyssey this is not. But exciting it is. Let’s see where this goes. One must wonder if these are the titular cannibals.

Sooooo …  yeah. When you see the tribe of trogs back at their home in the side of a mountain or something, the whole cannibal movie parallels click. This isn’t exactly that, but there this movie (also Italian, fyi) and those cannibal flicks do share a lot of the same touchstones. Even if they are sometimes recontextualized.

And the way they start pawing at the blond Eve strikes a huge cannibal movie chord with me. Think Mountain of the Cannibal God, with Ursula Undress. I mean Andress.

This is just a really groovy primordial lost-in-the-jungle flick. Less violence and more archetypology. Go ask Joseph Campbell.

Anyway. Eventually the war of the sexes re-emerges as a stronger theme. Adam and Eve separate.

Did I mention this is an extremely beautiful movie? Adam may be alone now and left to jacking off and talking to himself, but he gives the film a chance to wander with him through some spectacular scenery. The whole movie has been a thing of beauty so far, and it doesn’t slack off now. Eve goes wandering through some foresty enviros of her own.

This leads her to more primitives. (Like she and Adam have been around for SO long yet.) Not trog, this time, actually more like the spaghetti cannibal movie cannibals, though I don’t know yet if they eat people. I’m starting to suspect not, as I think this title is completely gratuitous, yet oddly not 100% off base. The cavemen weren’t gutmunchers. I’ll have to see if these tribesfolk are or not.

Well, turns out there is a quite a bit of munching – but it all appears to be fruit and vegetables. Unless I missed something vital. Is this a commentary on the Old Testament’s pre-Noahite veggies-only diet as prescribed by Yahweh?

As soon as I say that, I think the captive Eve is being offered an animal to eat …. Oh, yeah, that’s an animal. Still, though, cannibalism this isn’t

And I still have to wonder if this isn’t a deluge-less analogy to the transition of vegetarianism to omnivorism in Genesis.

Uh-oh. Eve is learning to use her female allure, being all sexy and flirty for her tribesman guard. Damn freshy sexually awakened females (in our world, that’s teenage girls), wielding the weapon of their sexuality when they don’t even grok the immense power of those nuclear capabilities.

Still, she’s not without her just motives here. I mean, if somehow I was abducted by a primitive tribe fascinated by my fat (and sexy) ass, I’d flap my balls around if I thought that gave me a chance to manipulate my captors.

Oh, shit, and the cavemen meet the non-trog tribesman. I think some cannibalism just happened, like the cavemen ambushed a non-trog and had a quick pre-battle snack.

What a crazy, wonderful movie.

Yep, the cavemen combine warring with lunching. I mean, eating bits of your enemy is also deadly. Or a freshly killed foe won’t argue if you take a bite. So, yeah.

This actually excels expectations for viewers going in expecting another B-grade gutmuncher. Don’t get me wrong, my love for Italian cannibal flicks is broad and extends beyond the greats .But ADAM & EVE VS THE CANNIBALS solders part of the classic sketti gutmuncher into a wildly different yet markedly analogous piece of cinema. This movie benefits both from its freshness and its familiarity.

The movie is an artistic accomplishment, for sure. And I’m sure it pulled in lots of “exploitation” audiences. All around success? I’d happily grant this simultaneous arthouse/grindhouse status. (It isn’t as if the two didn’t overlap plenty.)

This one’s more of an onion than most Italian gutmunchers. And you never know what’s down in the next layer. I mean, now we’ve got a scenario where the cavemen have captured the non-trogs who captured Blondie Eve.

And, inevitably, Adam shows up pissed and stabbing semi-folks, brandishing his oh so phallic weapon (spear) around. And then we’re on the move, on the river, afloat in a bid for escape and freedom.

Now, I assume you recall that nature is not working synergistically with Adam and Eve, right? Well, let me just say this: Bear. OK, guy in a bear costume, but the scene manages to work anyway. And also to provide one of the scenes neater, if not overly bloody, scenes of violence. In your face, bear. Literally.

Segue. Now the film introduces the concept of pugnacious male rivalry for feminine affections. You could really study this one in a film class. Or psychology class. Awesomeness. They even work in a note of the female civilizing and taming effect on the male.

And then ADAM AND EVE VS THE CANNIBALS features what must be Creation’s first break-up! Or, maybe, just one of its first turn-downs. Still, it’s like high school before high school, right? Sniff!

(You could argue this is a really weird love story.)

Of course, it’s a lot of things. And the remarkable combination works wonders almost as great as Creation itself. (OK, maybe that was a tad hyperbolic. But I think my superpower is hyperbole.)

Awww, love scene. And that anachronistically vocal soft pop is back! Odd upon odd. Nothing if not a singular film.

NOTE: It occurs to me there is remarkably little nudity or violence compared to what you’d expect from such a film. Not that this movie has that big a category, Such A Film. I speak broadly.

NOTE: Adam and Eve stumble onto stock footage of bit cats eating a gazelle or whatever. They gasp. The music sounds oddly like Cannibal Holocaust’s score here. Only a watcher of these movies would notice that, but a watcher of these movies would notice that. A little tingle.

Now there’s snow and she’s in a more robe-y thing but she’s still sexy. Nice high leg slit (note).

I THINK ADAM JUST TOLD EVE “FUCK YOU”!

(*Rewind*)

Nope. Crap, he didn’t. He said “I told you.” As in, “I told you so.” The movie has resurfaced is war of the sexes theme, in a context of Eve feeling like Adam is treating her like a secondary citizen, lacking independence. There is a subtext of his questioning of her creative ability, which points to the patriarchal suppression of the divine feminine. The feminine creative power (womb) was an factor in primitive worship of the goddess. In this scene, Adam is using his creative skill to forge a weapon. She is making a little sculpture of an animal. Adam sees himself as useful and her as needing protection. (Of course, this also alludes to the male war tendency versus the female peace tendency.)

This argument of pragmatism – useful spear versus “useless” cub carving – points to the age-old conflict of what we can call War Vs Art. War can mean here – not necessarily just violent conflict between nations -  any endeavor based on severe pragmatism. The stereotype of the father who sees no practical value in a child’s desire to act rather than, say, join the family business or become a lawyer.  Those who who see creativity for creativity’s sake as without worth since it cannot turn a screw or fire a bullet or only rarely make money (Stephen King versus the world’s unpublished dishwashers who write in their sleep hours and hope – same dynamic as the struggling actor).

I won’t belabor it further. But, like I said, lots of onion layers here. A much better movie than maybe we had a right to expect?

The movie builds toward a tragic mood. Adam and Eve, lost and alone (but for each other, which shouldn’t be forgotten), nigh unto dying on a mountaintop blanketed in snow. Adam is ready to give up. But Eve encourages him. The ultimate transcendence of interdependence is reached. The film and its ideas achieve fruition. Adam and Eve are yin-yang. Only through their tribulations do they gain strength, insight and the ability to prevail.

Wow, an amazing scene of rumbling, cracking ice (more well-placed stock footage – I LOVE creative, mix-and-match filmmaking, sort of blending in found object art with traditional filmmaking). God is farthest from them. His wrath isn’t rage … but absence. The bleak world is breaking apart around them. But, of course, the desert of the soul provides the aridity for new spiritual growth.

Finaly, though, “wrath” recedes and a hospitable world is again alive around them. Life is peaceful. Their relationship with the divine is restored, as well as their relationship with each other. (There is so much subtext here – this film narrative is pregnant with meta like a babies-toting dog mom with a swingin’ ass tummy has puppies inside. I could say so much but it belongs in another essay, which perhaps I’ll get to one day.)

Also noteworthy is the reference to Earth’s cyclical nature, Persephone’s dying and rebirth, the seasons swirl, oroborous. Into this creative cycle is brought the focus point of Eve’s pregnancy. This is the final nearing climax of the film. The movie culminates at the altar of the creative sacred feminine. (NOTE: Again the music has a touch of Cannibal Holocaust melody, but more hopeful in tone.)

ADAM AND EVE VS THE CANNIBALS, neato title aside, is a gorgeous film, substantial. It offers not only grindhouse entertainment but also a heady delve into living mythology and archetypal truth. This movie is a gem and deserves more appreciation, but the nature of its uniqueness would fend off many a mainstream viewer.

I can at least ask you, dear reader (because what kind of egomaniac am I to assume more than one reader?), to go check this movie out. Please. Sincerely.

[littledonkeyburrito]

Good god, what a terrifying assumption

1. Do you have callouses on your fingers? When I was a teenager my fingertips were calloused from playing guitar and the rest of my hands were calloused and blistered from playing drums. When I had a particularly painful blister or one that had just burst, instead of stopping playing, I would cover my fingers with tape and get back to it. It had to be the right type of tape, or a fabric bandaid, otherwise the sweat would make it fall off straight away. 2. Ever seen the movie Sky High? Fucking iconic. 3. Do you think that horses are a bit terrifying? I had quite a strong fear of horses until I was 18 and forced myself to get over it by being around horses a little more. At that point I wanted to be a vet so I knew that fear would hold me back. 

4. Do you do the grocery shopping?   Who else is going to do it?

5. Do you like laying out?   I don’t understand what this means..?

6. How many times have you been to the beach? Not many times since I’ve been an adult

7. What time do you like to wake up?   Lately, between midday and 2pm. That will change drastically once I’m back in Australia.

8. Do you have your own car?   I had my old car for 5 years but now I’ll have to buy a new one when I’m back in aus. And by “new” I mean secondhand but new to me.

9. How often do you listen to music? A bit more often lately. I’ve been having youtube mixes playing while I’m scrolling tumblr instead of the silence.

10. Have you ever ridden a train? Are there people in western countries that haven’t been on a train?

11. Have you done anything productive today, anyway? I cleaned part of my shower, did the laundry and I cooked.

12. Eaten anything delicious today? What I cooked.

13. Have you ever dated someone simply for their looks? Yeah but he was nice too

14. How many boyfriends have you had in 2017? Depending on definition, between zero and two.

15. Do you know your Social Security number by heart? I do not have my Spanish ID number memorised. I don’t have any ID number memorised actually

16. How often do you say ‘lol’ in a computer or text conversation? Not that much. I’m more likely to say haha or lmao

17. Can you curse around your parents? Yes but Mum isn’t a fan of it. She doesn’t say anything because I’m an adult so she can’t tell me off for it anymore. Dad doesn’t care at all.

18. Are you happy with where you live? I love it and I wish I didn’t have to leave.

19. Do people ever mistake you for being a different race? No, I’m pretty damn pasty

20. If you had the chance to move to a completely different state, would you? Definitely not. That doesn’t sound like me at all. I would never move somewhere new.

21. Do you have a flag?   I don’t quite understand this question. You mean like a physical flag made of fabric? No. Do people have those? Oh wait, like every other balcony in this city is displaying a catalan flag so I guess I can’t really ask that question. Anyway, no I do not have a flag.

22. Do you know where the gun in your house is?   Good god, what a terrifying assumption.

23. Have you ever kissed anyone with a tongue ring? I have not.

24. You are spending the night alone in the woods and may bring only 3 items with you. What do you bring? Bug spray, sleeping bag, water

25. Do you still see your ex? I don’t see any of them 26. Name the last thing to make you angry? I don’t get angry very often at all so I have absolutely no idea 27. What has been the best year of your life so far? This one. 28. If someone liked you now, would you want them to tell you? Yeah 29. The last person you held hands with, what’s their best feature? He has quite nice arms

30. Is there a high chance you’ll see someone good looking tomorrow? I probably will look in a mirror, yeah

31. When was the last time you flew in a plane? Couple of weeks ago 32. Think of the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them in a car? Yes 33. Do you mind sleeping on the floor? Mate, I will sleep anywhere. 34. Do you have a good relationship with your mother? I have an excellent relationship with my mum. We are quite good friends. 35. What is your least favorite season? 3 36. Have you hugged anyone in the last 72 hours? I have not hugged anyone in the last 2 months. That’s fine though bc I’m not really a huggy person 37. What do you hear right now? Papaoutai - Stromae 38. If you say you’ll call someone back, will you? Yes, unless I forget

39. Do you toss and turn for hours at night or do you just fall straight to sleep? It takes quite a while because I don’t do anything during the day so I don’t get tired and can’t fall asleep until like 4am which means I then sleep until the early afternoon and the cycle starts again. 40. What color shirt were you wearing when you had your last kiss? Fuck I don’t know 41. Where do you want to live when you’re older? Who the fuck knows. Maybe spain, maybe australia, maybe somewhere in south america. No idea. 42. When you sleep on your bed, is stuff usually on it? Never. 43. Is it easy to make you smile? Yes 44. Do you like to play on playgrounds? When is the last time you did? Sure, but it’s been a long time

45. What do you think of when you hear the word “meow"? My 14 year old self. Cringe.

46. Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? Sounds cramped. I might’ve after a party or something but no specific instances come to mind

47. What’s the background on your cell? Beetle tracks in the sand in the desert that I took in india: 

48. Name the last four beds you sat on? My bed at home, hostel bed in Paris, 2 hotel beds in Panama City

49. Would you rather have a poodle or Rottweiler? Rottweiler. I’m not a huge fan of poodles although the lack of shed fur would be a bonus

50. Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? Zoo for sure. Art is lost on me.

51. Do you wear hats if you’re having a bad hair day? Hats look bad on me and my hair always looks great

52. Would you ever go bald if it was the style? Buzz cut maybe

53. Does your bedroom have a door? Nope

54. Do you think two people can last forever? The people of pompeii have lasted pretty well so far, but forever is still a bit of a stretch.

55. How many windows are open on your computer? One window. Six tabs.

56. What is your ringtone? The buffy theme song

57. Does your mum try to be cool? She doesn’t have to try, she’s already rad as heck.

58. What are you listening to? Duele El Corazón - Enrique Iglesias

59. What were you doing before you took this survey? I was watching Jack Whitehall’s Travels With My Father on netflix and it was so fucking funny

60. What things did you eat today? A couple of mandarins, baked potato with mince and veggies. I’m sure I had a meal earlier in the day but I don’t remember what.

61. Do you think you gained or lost weight this past month? I don’t give a shit

62. What kind of milk do you drink? Fresh skim milk. Most milk in Spain is long life stuff which I don’t like as much.

63. Do you swear at your parents? Not AT them. I’ll use swear words in conversation with them though

64. Have you ever been ice skating? When I was 13 I had wanted to go ice skating for a really long time. I was in Sydney with my parents for a karate tournament and they agreed to take me ice skating. Anyway, the rink was closed because they were filming for a tv show but we got to be extras instead. I still didn’t actually go ice skating for another couple of years after that.

65. Do you always wear your seat belt? In Australia, yes. In other countries sometimes not because laws and culture are different. In a lot of countries, the back seats of cabs will be covered with sheets or blankets and the seatbelt buckle isn’t accessible. 

66. Do you like sushi? So much. It’s been way too long since I’ve had sushi because it’s so expensive everywhere other than japan and australia. I’m looking forward to cheap sushi when I go back.

67. What food do you find disgusting? Not many. There are several foods that I am indifferent to but don’t actually dislike.

68. Do older members of the opposite sex ever hit on you? Only in central america

59. Do you drink the 6-8 cups of water a day? Probably not but I usually get through a (refillable) water bottle a day

60. What does your last outgoing message say? "Made it so much better”

61. Could you date someone taller than you? That is the preference

62. What is your current mood? Cold is a mood now.

63. Does it bother you to have dirt on the bottom of your bare feet? Depends on what I’m doing but generally no

64. Who was your first crush? lmao it was daniel radcliffe when I was ten

65. What are you wearing on your feet? Shoes and socks because I’m FUCKING COLD

66. Last person who drove you somewhere? A bus driver

67. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? When I was a kid I had a crush on a (teenage) karate sensei of mine. More recently, I kinda liked my spanish teacher back in aus.

68. Do you prefer fruit or vegetables? I consume more vegetables but I don’t think I actually prefer one over the other.

69. What are your favourite textures? Bumpy and a little rough. I hate really smooth surfaces like polished concrete you often find in garages. I used to always walk with as little of my feet touching the ground as possible when I was barefoot in the garage.

70. If you won a LOT of money the lottery and decided to move, where would you move to? If I won a lot of money I would stay here. the only reason I’m leaving is lack of money

71. Alcoholic beverage of choice? Cuba Libre

72. What’s the youngest you would consider dating? One or two years younger than me

73. If you were around in the sixties would you be a mod or a rocker? I don’t know what those words mean

74. Are thongs sexy? You ain’t actually talkin bout flipflops are ya?

75. What do you think of when I say “the twenties"? My age..?

76. Is penetration important to you? What context could this possibly be other than sexual?

77. What sport were you best at in high school? Karate. But obviously I didn’t do that AT school

78. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed? So much rum.

79. Have you ever had a teacher hit on you? Not one of my teachers, but a guy who was a teacher yeah

80. What would you do if it snowed right now? I would be very happy and I would suffer the cold to stand on my balcony

81. Is there anyone who understands your relationship status? “Single” is not exactly a difficult concept to grasp

82. Have your past mistakes made you wiser? Of course

83. What’s your opinion on good grammar: important or not? Not important, especially if it’s your second language. So long as you can be understood, the rest doesn’t matter.

84. The last time you said ‘I love you’ to someone, who said it first, them or you? I’m pretty sure dad said it first because I couldn’t speak when I was a newborn. 85. Do you like potato salad? I like my dad’s potato salad and also my auntie’s potato salad. Most of the others I’ve tried have been mediocre 86. Have you ever driven and ended up running out of gas? Almost once in the middle of fucking nowhere at night while taking the inland route back from the 12 apostles to Geelong. Drove for an hour with the low fuel light flashing and barely saw any other cars in that time. 87. What was the reason behind the last time you stayed up all night? I was probably drinking

88. How old were you when you were first pulled over by the police? 19 I think for an rbt

89. When was the last time you drank out of a champagne glass? A few months ago when a friend was staying in barcelona for a few days and we got trashed off his hotel minibar and drank everything out of champagne glasses. Some of it was champagne, most of it was not. 90. Does it flood easily where you live? Not in Barcelona. Brisbane yes.

[midsummervixen]

Hideaway. Chapter 2

Its here! I am feeling a bit icky and the kids were up for 90% of writing this. Its unedited so please forgive any mistakes you see. I will go over it tomorrow and fix any mistakes, but I really wanted to get it up as promised! :) :) I hope you love it! 

Read Chapter 1 HERE! 

(a/n I used the Waioli Huiia Church as my inspiration for this location. I don’t name it in the story but isn’t it beautiful!? We were driving along the highway and I screamed, “STOP!” And scared the shit out of my hubs. I made him turn around and pull over so I could gawk at this beautiful church and eventually get my camera out and snap a few pictures. This MIGHT be my favorite picture of the whole trip.)

I walked through the sea of vendors at the local Farmer’s Market that I’ve come to love in my time on the island. As everything seems to be here, it's so much more than just a place to buy food. It has a community feel that is so deeply ingrained in everything these people do. Everyone knows each other. Children run free between the tables, laughing and playing. The adults visit and catch up on the last week’s happenings. I filled a weaved bag with fresh fruits and veggies to last me the week as I absorbed the scene around me.

The market set up every Sunday morning on the grounds of the most beautiful church. The green paint of the Church allowed the stained glass windows to stand out. Behind the church, the mountains of the Halelea Forest Reserve rose up. It was a stunning sight that never failed to take my breath away. This wasn’t a tourist attraction. Vendors didn’t sell expensive souvenirs. It was local farmers coming together to sell fresh food to their community. I hadn’t missed a single Sunday morning here since I came with my landlord the first week I was here. She was a sweet older woman who insisted I needed food for my kitchen. I walked with her to the Market and couldn’t keep a smile off my face the entire time I was there.

The weather was a bit gloomy this week. The clouds were covering the tops of the mountains behind the Church and the threat of rain had vendors putting up large umbrellas.

After paying for the food I picked out, I turned to leave the vendor and head to the next. I looked up to see a familiar set of green eyes fixed on me. He was standing two tables down from me. A soft smile stretched across his face as he nodded at me.

We met at the table between us. I hadn’t even realized I was walking until I was standing right in front of him.

“Hey. Harry, right?” I greet him. His grin grew even wider as he nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t picture you as a farmer’s market type.” I teased him.

“Oh, don’t let the snap back fool you, I’m actually a bit of a health nut.” He joked as he flipped his hat backwards and laughed. I noticed he had a lot of Kale and other organic fruits and veggies in his bag.

“The hat definitely had me fooled. It makes you look more like a frat boy.” He laughed hard at this and shrugged.

“I think I’m a few years past the frat boy stage.”  He chuckled as we walked along together past a few more vendors before I stopped at one selling fresh pineapples. My weakness. I grabbed three and paid before turning to face Harry again. He looked amused. “Pineapples, huh?” He teased.

“They happen to be my favorite fruit and the ones here are the best on the planet.” I stated before laughing a little at myself. He bought two as well.

“For smoothies.” He said when I raised my eyebrow at him.

We walked together making small talk as we both finished up our shopping. We reached the end of the vendors. There were a few food trucks were parked in the grass next to the market.. Food Trucks are the big thing on Kauai. Almost anytime you see a place to eat with tons of great reviews on Yelp, it's a food truck. Some of the best local meals I’ve had were from the food truck on the corner near my little cottage.  

“Ok, Mr. Health nut, you will love this stuff.” I lead him to one of the food trucks that boasted authentic Hawaii food and smoothies. “It’s all Taro based. Really good for you and super yummy.” I loved all the local treats. I grabbed a Taro cake and added it to our purchase. Before I could get my wallet out, Harry handed a twenty to the cashier and waved me off. “Thanks.” I smiled. I was more than capable of buying my own food, but it was a sweet gesture from him. We took our drinks and shared cake to a picnic table and sat next to each other, looking out over the vendors.

“So why Kauai?” He asks, popping a bit of the cake in his mouth.

“I’ve never been here before. My agent suggested it. I like how it's quieter than most places. Especially if you avoid the tourists. I just needed to get out of LA for a while.” I didn’t mention that “a while” had turned into two months.

“You’re from LA?” He smirked. I nodded. It was fairly common knowledge where I lived. “I split my time between LA and London.” He confessed.

“Wow. Really? Small World.” It's true that LA was a huge place but what were the chances the first person I get friendly with on this island lives there as well. He nods in agreement before taking a big bite from the cake and chewing it slowly.

“So you needed an escape?” He questioned. I nodded. “LA can be a bit much.” He said softly. We fell into a comfortable silence as we finished our drinks and the last of the Taro cake.

We parted ways not long after. He waved one last time at me as he got in his car and I turned to walk up the road towards my cottage. I once again found myself thinking of him long after we said goodbye. I sat on my back porch and typed all afternoon as the rain poured down on the mountains around me. I was hoping this was finally the break I needed from my crippling writer's block. I laughed to myself as I thought I might need to give Harry a cut of my profits for all the inspiration I’m getting from just a few short conversations with him.

****

I spent the next week bouncing between my back porch or the beach writing furiously. I reworked what I had written already, completely trashing a huge portion of it. The new character changed everything and created a story line that I was excited about. The story had the new life I was looking for. After a long phone meeting with my agent and one of the editors at my publishing house, I emailed the rough draft of the first two chapters to them, not willing to part with more than that yet. I knew those chapters would keep them happy for a while so I could write without having anyone breathing down my back. I felt the last bit of stress I was feeling over my writer’s block lift from my shoulders.

As a reward to myself for finally writing, I decided to give myself a little adventure. I drove around the island for a while before pulling into a quite looking beach. The parking lot was maybe a third full but the park between the lot and the sand was large and the beach was long. I would blend in with my large hat and peach knitted bathing suit cover up.

As I got out of the car, I noticed there was a large meadow across the street from the beach. Small purple flowers were all around and there was a gate along the fence. I walked up and leaned against the gate, letting my eyes wander over the view in front of me. I could never thank my agent enough for suggesting Kauai. This is the most peaceful I’ve felt since before I signed my contract with my publishing company. Before that, writing was a creative outlet for me. It was my passion, my dream, my love. But then it became my job. I wanted to remember what it was like to write because I wanted to, not because I had to. Here, I found that again. I let out a content sigh and smiled to myself.

“We've really got to stop meeting this way.” A deep voice spoke into my ear. I jumped slightly and turned to see the Harry smiling back at me.

“Harry.” I exclaimed holding my hand over my rapidly beating heart. “You snuck up on me.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He laughed out, holding up his hands. “I wasn’t exactly quiet. I even tripped over a rock by the road. Actually, I’m a bit glad you didn’t see that.”

“I don’t understand this. What are you even doing here?” I gestured towards the beach. “I’m starting to think you are following me.” I joked.

“I would never.” He shook his head, laughing a bit. “I’ve just been checking out every beach I can. One every few days. I was sitting on the bench over there when you pulled up.” He pointed to an area near where I had parked. “If anything, you must be following me since I was here first.” He moved his eyebrows up and down a few times.

“Alright, I’ll let you off this time, but, if this happens again, I’m going to be suspicious.” I like the easy banter we have. I find myself comfortable around him, which is rare for me these days. “Have you walked along the water yet? I was going to walk the beach and watch for sea turtles if you wanted to join me. I read that they are often spotted here.” I invited him, not wanting to part ways just yet. “That sounds lovely. I’ve only sat on the bench since I got here. I was watching the wind surfers. It looks fun.” He pointed out over the water at a couple of people gliding along the water, holding on to sails. It did look fun, but difficult. “Lead the way.” He did a silly half bow while holding his arm out in front of him, making me giggle. He was charming without even trying and I found myself smiling nonstop when I was around him.

We crossed the grass park and paused to pull off our shoes before walking onto the sand. We quietly walked for a few minutes. Harry stopped every once in awhile to scoop up a shell and inspect it. If he liked it, he put it in his pocket.

“The waves are so small here.” He broke the silence. He walked to the water and let it gently lap over his feet.

“There is a shallow reef out there.” I pointed to where we could see waves far off from shore. “The waves break out there so it makes a calm area between the reef and the beach. I read a lot about it last night. I guess it’s idea for kids who want to snorkel or swim because there isn’t the risk of an undercurrent.” I explained. Harry nodded. We watched a few kids splash around in front of us. There were a lot of families with little children here so the website must have been right.

We walked a little bit more before sitting down on the sand and quietly watched the wind surfers again. I like the comfortable moments of silence that we shared. It's hard to find someone you can be quiet with. I thought about asking him to meet again, this time on purpose but his phone interrupted the silence between us.

“I’ve got to get this. It’s my manager.” He shot me a sympathetic smile

Before answering the phone and walking a bit away from me. He looked frustrated and gestured with his free hand even though the person on the phone couldn’t see him. He hung up and let out a deep sigh before turning back to me.

“I’ve got to go back to my hotel. I guess I am needed for an important meeting. I’m being allowed to Skype in even though I really should be there in person. But It’s last minute and jumping on a plane would cause me to miss it.” He rambled a bit in his frustration.  

“It's ok, Harry. Go take care of your stuff. I’m ok here.” I waved away his frustration.

“It was really nice running into you again.” He smiled and ran his hand through his curls. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times as if he wanted to say more but stopped himself. “Well, I’ve really got to go.” He took a step back, hesitating.

“Bye Harry. Good luck with your meeting.” I waved at him and smiled. He nodded before turning to leave, looking over his shoulder at me a few times before reaching his car. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding after he opened the door and disappeared from my sight. I wondered if I would see him again or if he would have to fly back home to attend more meetings. He was a mystery to me. One I wanted to unravel but not sure if that was a good idea. It was probably a good thing we didn’t exchange any numbers or where we were staying. I enjoyed our surprise run ins but it was better to keep my distance. I was here to write and I was finally making progress.

The next day, I wrote on my beach for a few hours before needing a break. I left my

Towel and beach bag on the sand under my tree. I took my notebook and walked down the beach. I’m not sure how long I walked before I turned to walk back. My eyes searched for shells in the sand as Harry had done the day before. I smiled softly to myself as my thoughts drifted to him yet again. There was something about him that intrigued me. He was quiet but friendly. His presence was calming but I could tell he also had an adventurous side as well. I bent to pick up a shell. As I stood, my eyes looked down the beach ahead of me. A dozen or so yards ahead of me stood Harry. A smirk across his face as he shrugged his shoulders as if to say, ‘I don’t know how this happened again.’ I just laughed and shook my head before walking towards him.

“There is no way you could convince me we are meeting by chance again.” I narrowed my eyes and pointed at him. He laughed loud. He had a mischievous smile when he simply shrugged again.

“Ok, you caught me. I wanted to ask if we could meet on purpose but I got that phone call and I was rushed and just left. I regretted it after I drove away, but I was already late for that meeting so I couldn’t turn back.” He ran his hands through his curls, a gesture that I decided must be a habit of his. “I remember seeing you here the day before we met at the coffee shop. I don’t know if you saw me.”

“I did.” I said, quietly. Harry nodded.

“I hoped you came here often, so I decided to try and find you. You weren’t at the coffee shop this morning.” He blushed a little and looked almost shy, a side of him I hadn’t seen of him before.

“Here I am.” I held my arms out as if to say ‘ta da’ and smiled at him.

“Here you are.” He agreed and laughed at me.

We moved to sit on my towel, side by side, facing the waves.

“This is a good spot you have here. It’s quiet.” He noted. I could see he was looking down at my from the corner of my eye. After a few moments, I turned to look at him.

“So, meeting on purpose?” I asked.

“Yeah. I really liked discovering that beach with you. I thought that we should do this again.” He stated. “I have been here for a bit now and I don’t actually know anyone here. It was nice at first but I have to admit, I’m getting a bit lonely.” “Yeah. That would be fun.” I agreed. “I have a confession.” I shot him a shy smile. “I have been here for over two months and I haven’t really done anything beyond sit at that coffee shop or at the beach beating my head into my notebook trying to get the next book to work.” His eyebrows shot up at my confession.

“You mean you have been here that long and haven’t done any exploring?” I shook my head. “That’s just unacceptable!” He declared. “I’m making it my personal mission to get you out at least a few times a week.” He almost shouted. I shushed him and laughed.

“That sounds like a lot of fun. I did a lot of reading before coming here and there are some really great hiking trails. Especially up along the Waimea Canyon, or there is a hike that you actually have to camp a few nights to do along the Na Pali Coast. It’s suppose to be absolutely breathtaking but I was a little worried about going it alone though.”

“I think you just found yourself an adventure buddy.” He stuck out his hand for me to shake, as if we were making a deal. We shook hands, laughing hard. I couldn’t help but to think that things just got a bit more interesting.

Thanks again for reading! I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it!!! I love feedback so tell me what you think!?!?  Master List