Cycle Write Blog

This Traveller Loves to Come Home Too

That’s me –after several weeks abroad and enjoying every day, immersed in a foreign country and language environment, I love to come home too. To my own bed, quiet at home and diverse choice of food. Not Get Too Lost I’m not exactly your tourist, clutching tightly onto my pillow from home or I’m peering…

Living Best as City Mouse

Even though Cycle Write blog is peppered with wilderness photos and near poetic odes about Nature, at heart, I live best as a City Mouse. An urban life person. Sure I’d love to claim that I revel in cabin or at least home living in the unlit forest. There is an implicit suggestion, that liking…

Cycling Through Curtains of Fog, Twilight and Darkness

I don’t fancy myself much of a night rider. I don’t go night cycling just for fun. Night riding for me is strictly utilitarian –commuting to and from work, occasional shopping or cycling to a restaurant/event not far from home or hotel. I’m slower because I can’t help but think something might suddenly jump from behind inky black shadows…

Cycling Love in India: Profile of Mother, Physician Blogger

A few months ago, I stumbled across Preethi’s blog, IfeeIthinkIsay. I was delighted to discover she also is a cyclist..in southern India. In addition to bicycling for health and fun, she is also busy as a full-time physician (psychiatrist) there for last 9 years for children with disabilities and emotional problems, as well mother of 2 young children. She graciously…

Magnolia and Cherry Blossom Cascades

I’ve always look forward to the annual spring burst of cherry tree blossoms in Vancouver. A cascade of delicate pink, sometimes white blossoms, sweeps across the city, in waves, for a month. Usually during the latter part of March into April. While cherry trees are busting out, larger petals of magnolia flowering trees are breaking…

That Train in My Canadian Cycling Horizon

Every few weeks when I’m cycling, a major train pops up on the horizon with dinging bell, 1 or 2 red locomotive engines, pulling a serpentine string of cargo train loads and tanks. The train is either the Canadian National Railway or the Canadian Pacific Railway. Like any cyclist, I just hope the frickin’ train is…

Canadian Contrasts or Ignorance: 3 Cities, 3 Solitudes

It’s harder than it appears: distillating facts and personal musings on the major cities where I’ve lived, worked and cycled so far. Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary are big and jostle for world stage, as Canada’s world-class city. Several sword points to note: Vancouver in my infographic, refers to City of Vancouver. Not 20 other suburban cities around which…

Canadian Canoe Museum : Plying Waters of Culture, History and Geographic Exploration

I’ve only canoed once in my life. My day of canoeing was semi-mandatory at a day school camp for physical education and science class when I was 10 years old. I haven’t gone into the waters since then, because I don’t know how to swim. Canoe and Kayak- Icons in Canadian Cultural History So why…

Taste Ticklers: Matcha Green Tea Desserts or Monster Squash Sprouts?

So far, I’ve prided myself in eating weird looking food. Anyone raised on predominantly traditional Asian cuisine for first 20 years of their life, tends to think so. As a kid, I ate rehydrated tiger lily buds steamed with meat, bitter melon. Heck, I’ve crunched on ugh, sea cucumber in a restaurant. It’s gelatinous AND…

Balancing Between Active and Brain-Based: Your Passions For Life

Awhile ago, I wrote a blog post on discovering your favourite exercise, a sport or your physical activity that dovetails neatly into your lifestyle and personality. A sure bet you will want to take up that exercise several times per week for health, fun and for a long time. Brain-Based Passions Well, at the other…

Christmas Lights, Colours- In Nature and by Human Touch

I’m certain we all have cringed at the outright crassness of shopping mall Christmas frippery, trinkets and lights festooning the shops and out along shopping districts. Sure, it taints the real spirit of Christmas –the birth of Christ, the reciprocal giving of good wishes both personal and collective as well as small gifts of caring…

Judge Not the Poor: Eating Healthy

There have been enough popular news media and academic articles about the unhealthy triangle of poverty, limited food choices, and higher risk of poor health. Such assumptions can sometimes be wrong: I am a living example or shall I say, my family has been a living example that poverty doesn’t always mean living in the black shadow of…

Mountain Leaf and Light Dancing

Art and poetry are mere light and colour shadows, whisper-thin metaphors of Nature. Here are some paintings and haiku I fashioned. Windswept leaves flung Down mountain, spin freewheelin’ Water cradles home. Translucent layers Fold a mountain range, Copper-flames burnish gently. Glory gold glitter Rustles stories and dream-light Cast a fairy spell.

Bald Eagle: Fierce Majesty at Attention

The sight of a bald eagle stops anyone dead on their tracks. It makes you just shiver a tad –its razor sharp hooked beak, cold jewel eye staring from its snow white head rising from its muscular feathery dark bulk. The eagle just looks as if it could rip you apart. And it does —…

Paint My Heart in Autumn Red-Gold and Orange

So far, there’s only one painting I’ve done, stoked by warm memories of Ontario’s stunning autumn leaf colour. Swaths of flaming orange, red and gold paint forests, in parks and trees along streets and attract many walkers, cyclists and car trip drivers. While Vancouver, BC maps cherry blossom viewing locations every spring, in autumn, Ontario…

Crafting My Personal Blogger Infographic

After stumbling across Piktochart and free template, I cobbled my first personal blogger infographic. Clearly I am behind: I didn’t know resumes could be dolled up as an infographic. Here’s more information than you’ll ever need. I spent too much time having fun. You might have to increase your Screen View to 125 – 150% to read this…

Cyclists Not All Tree-Huggers, Left-Wingers and Other Stereotypes

I never mounted a bike because I wanted to save the environment. It doesn’t mean I am indifferent to water shortage crises and polluted air. But I’m not cycling daily for a save the earth crusade. Just Never Comfortable Driving a Car No, I’m just a person who was never comfortable with driving a car….

Flying 50 Years for Canada- Celebrating the National Flag

I was just 6 years old when Canada welcomed its first national flag in Feb. 1965. Although Canada became an independent country on July 1, 1867, our previous flag was still a carryover as a former British colony, with the Union Jack. Yes, Canada’s flag is only 50 years old this year. Flag Enthusiasm Fused with Canada’s 100th…

Prairie’s Declaration of Horse Love in Art

Alberta loves to trot out its love for horses in visual art, equestrian arts and competition, as well as rodeo events. It wasn’t until I moved to Calgary in the prairies, where I’ve met more ordinary folks in this Canadian region, than Toronto or Vancouver, who have family members that own and ride at least…

Salmon Art Leaps Into Pacific West Coast Imagination

Salmon is king in Vancouver –in local cuisine and in art. After a few days wandering in the city or anywhere along the coast of British Columbia, you are bound to stumble across salmon swishing through water or jumping up in sculpture, murals or mosaics. Salmon iconography is in Salish coastal Indian art, outdoor contemporary…