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The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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Thank you!

Lead by the omnipotent yellow box, we walked along in the rain following an invisible path to an unseen treasure. Having been to this park once before, we had a rough idea of where we needed to be - in the bushes along the far side. Last time we were here, refuse was strewn about, making it difficult to differentiate between trash and treasure. We gave up that day, without putting in much effort.

This day would be different. We had already been out earlier in that morning and found a number of caches, including one that had eluded us on previous adventures. We had a perfect record and it was not about to be broken by a "did not find". As the raindrops collected in our hair and dripped down our faces, steel resolve set in.

We knew that the cache was no longer in its original location. Reading the log, we learned that it once hung in a tree but was now somewhere on the ground amidst the litter. That did not matter though, as we were determined. Approaching the bushes from all angles, we ascertained the best path inside. The little yellow dog at our heels bounded ahead, sniffing spots where squirrels and other wild animals once trod.

Against the trunk of a tree rested a pile of maple leaves, reminding me of my heritage. Beneath the leaves sat the treasure - a camouflaged peanut butter container. We picked up the cache, signed the log, exchanged a rubber gecko for a rubber fish, and quickly replaced the container where we found it - beneath the symbol of my Motherland.

As we soggily walked back to the car, I reflected upon the irony that I had never seen a real maple leaf until I was in my early twenties and passing through Vancouver's Stanley Park on the way to Seattle.




For more information on this treasure hunting game, see the Geocaching FAQ.