I am now in Ottawa. I am resting and healing back in my country. I am also becoming conscious of just how much I have done in the last year and a half.

On my way through Canadian customs the officer asked: “Have you been to any other countries in your time away from Canada”

I smiled.

“I have actually. Let me see. The US, England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and back to England and France again.”

He looked up inquisitively: “And how did you get around?”

I smiled again: “Bicycle”.

He didn’t know quite what to say for the moment, then hastily waved me through.

Today walking my parent’s dog around the block I met the neighbour. She speaks mainly French so we chit chatted about how everybody’s doing. “Are you still painting and exposing?” She asked.

I smiled. “Yeah, I’ve been doing quite a lot of art lately in fact.” I mentioned then how I had either shows or studios or comissions in New York City, Belgium, Amsterdam, Berlin and lastly my presentation in Paris.

“In French?” She asked.

I nodded. It struck me that my French immersion teachers would have been quite proud.