“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always...from them comes silence and awe. The most irreverent of men, in the presence of redwoods, goes under a spell of wonder and respect.” - John Steinbeck As we drive along the Redwood Highway, I am reminded why so many great writers, the likes of Steinbeck and Muir, found their voices in the forests of Northern California. The story tellers that came before … [Read more...]
The Journey of a Lifetime
As I hastily climbed the stairs of my neighbor’s house, gasping for air with sweat dripping across my forehead, I had one goal in mind: to win this game of Hide and Go Seek. I had no idea that this simple game would change my life forever. Continuing up the stairs I had the mentality of many young children - my life seemed invincible and the thought of death was distant and abstract. Thinking that I would outsmart everyone, I climbed onto a … [Read more...]
A Visit to Munich Germany
I made it to Munich in one piece! Let's just say that's thanks in part to the complimentary wine and liberal alcohol laws on my flight. After getting my luggage, I met my German host family that I'll be staying with for the next two weeks - Hans und Gaby. Gaby was holding one of those signs with my name on it, I felt like I was powerful or something. About fifteen seconds after meeting, they shepherded me to the nearest Biergarten, which … [Read more...]
Eureka Springs Revisited
In early November, I spent two serendipitous days in the tiny resort town of Eureka Springs, located in the Ozarks, at the edge of Arkansas. I had accepted an invitation from a friend in the American Midwest to join her on her ranch in Kansas, and she was taking me on a road trip. Since we would be riding through Missouri, I asked if I might see something connected with Mark Twain. “Hannibal is on the other side of the state.” I was mildly … [Read more...]
An Unfinished Dream
Every Wednesday evening between March and October, Charles Dickens visits the house in which he made an early London home. He must have great affection for it. “Oliver Twist” was born here; so were his two eldest daughters...At 7:30, the lights in the basement library are dimmed, and a long-haired actor in full Victorian dress strides through the open door, marches towards a burgundy-coloured velvet armchair, and regales his “guests,” their … [Read more...]
Cosimo Cavallaro’s Jelly Bean Exhibition
Who: Cosimo Cavallaro What: Jelly Beans Exhibition When: April 2013 Where: Nye + Brown Gallery, Los Angeles When I heard about Cosimo Cavallaro's Jelly Bean exhibition featuring sculptures practically the size of a Mini, I had to see it for myself! Gleaming, glossy, and perfectly shaped resin coated beans lay before me when I arrived at the Nye+Brown Gallery in Los Angeles. Placed at just the right angles, the smaller and massive … [Read more...]
Corregidor: A Legacy Of War
Roiling thuds from warship mortars, swishing sounds from fighter planes, the wailing and myriad of death probably depicts the actual scene of the blood-spattered battle in the summer of 1942. All of it reverberates in my mind while my passenger ship passes through the waters of Corregidor. Taking a quick video of the battle site, I can imagine how frightening it was: below a pale grey sky, a huge black smoke perhaps darkened overhead, old … [Read more...]
Onward And Upward To Machu Pichu – Part 1
My heart kept beating like a tom-tom drum feverishly signaling an imminent enemy attack. It kept racing, and thudding, and pounding – not allowing me to get a wink of sleep. I recognized the symptoms. I knew what was happening. I had tried to prepare myself for it. It was oxygen deprivation, and it could lead to altitude sickness. Although I wasn’t in any immediate danger of becoming stricken with the illness, I knew that I was … [Read more...]
Onward & Upward To Machu Pichu – Part 2
The morning sun had ascended to its throne in the brilliant sky. The mist had excused itself for the day. Before us lay the grandeur of Machu Pichu swathed in golden sunlight. Everyone whipped out their cameras and started taking photos of the venerable gift that history had unwrapped for us. One by one, we captured the sight that we’d seen only in books. Angle by angle, frame by frame, we sought to imprint the majestic vista into the … [Read more...]
Our Family Glory in the Holiday Attributes of Punta Cana
Thinking of the sun and palm trees, one snowy and stormy weekend in Toronto, I decided to take my daughter Muna, along my grandson Mazin, and his wife Margarita, as a belated honeymoon gift, to the Dominican Republic. Now as we explored the huge Bahia Principe resort complex in Punta Cana, the Republic's resort par excellence, we were living our dream. As we walked the white sandy beach, Mazin remarked, "A great trip! I love your … [Read more...]
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